SB 2605 Mississippi Senate · 2025 Regular Session

School curriculum; require that schools teach civics courses before completion of high school.

SB 2605 would require all Mississippi public and charter schools to teach standalone civics courses starting in 8th grade and before students graduate high school, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. The courses must cover U.S. and Mississippi history, government structure (including federalism and the Constitution), civic skills like source analysis, and nonpartisan civic engagement, using historical and current examples. The Mississippi State Department of Education would develop the curriculum standards and update them to reflect current civics scholarship. Note: This bill died in committee on March 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 17, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Current version · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify that civics courses must begin in the 2026-2027 school year, adding specific definitions for civics education, requiring teacher training in summer 2026, and updating course standards to align with current scholarship. The changes also rename existing government courses to include civics and add emphasis on free speech and civil discourse.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly defines civics as a nonpartisan educational program and adds specific requirements for curriculum content and teacher training.

DEFINITION

Added a formal definition of civics as a nonpartisan educational program promoting knowledge of US and Mississippi history, civic institutions, and civic skills.

TIMELINE

Specified that civics courses must begin in the 2026-2027 school year, with teacher training conducted during summer 2026.

Changed effective date language to include repeal on June 30, 2025, while maintaining July 1, 2025 as the start of force.

REQUIREMENT

Added emphasis on free speech, civil discourse, and current public policy issues to the civics curriculum requirements.

Requires the State Department of Education to update course standards to align with current civics scholarship.

Renames existing United States Government courses to 'United States Government and Civics' to reflect the expanded curriculum.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 13, 2025

How they voted

51–0

Passed

Total votes 51

Feb 13, 2025

D Democratic16

16 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican35

35 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 18, 2025

Committee

Referred To Education

lower

Feb 17, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To House

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed As Amended

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

upper

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Referred To Education

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors