MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1997 Regular Session

To: Agriculture

By: Representative Ford

AN ACT TO REENACT SECTION 69-1-51, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE LICENSING OF OUT-OF-STATE FIRST PURCHASERS OF MISSISSIPPI AGRICULTURAL OR AQUACULTURAL PRODUCTS; TO AMEND REENACTED SECTION 69-1-51, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE REPEALER ON THE LICENSING OF OUT-OF-STATE FIRST PURCHASERS OF MISSISSIPPI AGRICULTURAL OR AQUACULTURAL PRODUCTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 69-1-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is reenacted and amended as follows:

69-1-51. (1) The Commissioner of Agriculture may promulgate rules and regulations for the issuance of licenses for out-of-state first purchasers of Mississippi agricultural or aquacultural products, excluding forestry products. The Commissioner of Agriculture may require that the application for such license is accompanied by a surety bond in the amount determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture as sufficient to cover the value of the commodities purchased by the licensee in this state. For purposes of this section, the term "out-of-state first purchasers" means those purchasers who are not residents of this state who buy, in bulk quantities, agricultural or aquacultural products, excluding forestry products, directly from the producer or farmer who raised or produced the products in this state.

(2) Any producer or farmer in this state may request the out-of-state first purchasers to provide their license numbers before completing sales of the products to the purchasers.

(3) Licensing as provided in subsection (1) of this section is entirely voluntary on the part of the purchaser and may not be required by the State of Mississippi or any of its agencies as a condition of doing business in this state.

(4) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 1998.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1997.