MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1997 Regular Session

To: Public Buildings, Grounds and Lands

By: Representative Stevens

AN ACT TO CREATE A CURATOR AND AN ASSISTANT CURATOR OF THE NEW CAPITOL; TO PRESCRIBE THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CURATOR; TO PRESCRIBE THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE ASSISTANT CURATOR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Director of the Office of Capitol Facilities shall employ a curator and an assistant curator of the New Capitol who will be employees of the Office of Capitol Facilities. The curator's and the assistant curator's qualifications and salaries shall be established by the State Personnel Board.

(2) The curator of the New Capitol has the following powers and duties:

(a) To conduct an inventory of the historically significant furnishings of the New Capitol and to oversee the restoration and maintenance of these furnishings;

(b) To conduct searches and submit recommendations for the acquisition of appropriate historical furnishings for the New Capitol;

(c) To oversee any proposed decorative or structural changes to the New Capitol and to obtain any permits that are required for these changes under the Antiquities Law of Mississippi;

(d) To conduct an inventory and oversee the care and maintenance of the Hall of Governors' portraits;

(e) To assist the Office of Capitol Facilities in implementing Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for the New Capitol;

(f) To develop a history of the New Capitol that shall be published to coincide with the centennial of the Capitol in the year 2003;

(g) To assist the New Capitol Hostess, as needed, with the planning, development, and execution of tours of the New Capitol;

(h) To serve as a liaison between the Lieutenant Governor; Speaker of the House of Representatives; Office of Capitol Facilities; Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management; and the Department of Archives and History in any matter relating to the structure and decor of the New Capitol; and

(i) To provide curatorial oversight for any building included in the capitol complex, as defined in Section 29-17-1, and any building located on the campus of any state college or university that would be considered a Mississippi landmark, as authorized in Section 39-7-11.

The curator shall have any other related powers and duties as are necessary and appropriate to preserve the New Capitol, the capitol complex and the Mississippi landmark buildings located on the campus of any state college or university.

(3) The assistant curator shall assist the curator in carrying out all of the duties listed in subsection (2) of this section.

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