MS HB373

Converts Mississippi Department of Transportation's paid educational leave program to a stipend program for contractual services employees pursuing undergraduate or graduate civil engineering degrees.

Undergraduate participants must have completed 58+ semester hours toward a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, maintain a 2.75 GPA or higher, and agree to work as a civil engineer at MDOT for a period equivalent to their stipend duration.

Graduate participants must hold a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, be accepted into a master's program at an accredited institution, submit a proposed thesis project for department review, and agree to work at MDOT for an equivalent period.

Participants must enter into a contract with the Mississippi Transportation Commission; the commission may cancel contracts for sufficient cause and may sue for unpaid balances or negotiate reduced settlements.

Takes effect July 1, 2013.