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Legislation Passed by Representative Brown 2003-2007
(* indicates bills which Rep. Brown did not author but which he amended to include the referenced provision(s) or made other substantial contributions to the final language.)
EDUCATION
 Full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Act. (HB 238, 2007)
- Establishment of the Office of Drop Out Prevention in the State Department of Education; (*SB 2602, 2006)
- Revision of the Mississippi Adequate Education formula to include efficiency measures and current funding for high growth school districts; (*SB 2604, 2006)
- Reestablishment of the Council for Educational Technology; (HB 1178, 2004)
- Requirement that State Auditor audit average daily attendance numbers used for state funding of K-12 school districts; (HB 1251, 2004)
- Conforming Mississippi tax law with federal tax law for tuition assistance plans; (HB 161, 2005)
- Permission for school districts to reimburse bus drivers for commercial drivers’ licenses; (HB 1177, 2004)
- Requirement for an optional path to the traditional high school diploma for those who want to enter the work force immediately after high school; (HB 214, 2006)
- A program making surplus text books available to children who are home schooled; (HB 308, 2006)
- A 3% salary increase for all school teachers; (*SB 2323, 2007)
- State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Hank Bounds’ program for high school redesign; (HB 834, 2007)
- A requirement that drop out and graduation rates be included in the assessment of Mississippi’s schools and school districts. (*SB 2960, 2007)
- The Mississippi Healthy Students Act. This act, passed in partnership with Rep. John Reeves, requires physical education for students in K-8 along with health education for kids in all grades. It also gives the State Department of Education additional authority to require healthy diets in public schools. (*SB 2369, 2007)
GOOD GOVERNMENT
- Hiring of internal auditors by major state agencies to identify violations of laws and inefficiencies in operations; (HB 650, 2003)
- Clarification of laws regarding performance and payment bonds for public and private contracts; (HB 1581, 2004; HB 1290, 2005)
- The Mississippi Administrative Procedures Act. This good government statute requires that state agencies consider input from the public prior to adopting regulations that have the effect of law; (HB 651, 2003)
- Funding for the Stennis Institute of Government to conduct a study of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and how state and local governments can be better prepared for natural or man made disasters; (HB 1324, 2006)
QUALITY OF LIFE
- Establishment of a law enforcement task force to prosecute illegal drug king pins. This so-called “Al Capone” bill attacks drug dealers by using criminal tax evasion statutes to “follow the money;” (HB 611, 2004)
- Additional authority for municipalities to deal with property owners who do not maintain their properties in accordance with municipal codes; (HB 1019, 2005)
- Establishment of the Remote Sensing Council to coordinate statewide mapping; (HB 861 2003)
- A “New Markets Tax Credit” bill that provides tax credit incentives for investors to provide capital to new businesses in low-income areas of the state. The law piggybacks on a similar federal statute. (*HB 1727, 2007)
- A provision supporting a major privately funded economic development project across State Street from the University Medical Center (*SB 2745, 2007)
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