MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1997 Regular Session

To: Ports and Marine Resources

By: Senator(s) Hewes

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 79-22-23, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO REORGANIZATION NOMENCLATURE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 

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

SECTION 1. Section 79-22-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

79-22-23. (1) The Secretary of State, upon recommendation of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality may lease waters as provided by Section 29-1-107, Mississippi Code of 1972, within the jurisdiction of the state to a person for aquaculture or the production of aquatic products. The Department of Marine Resources is authorized to develop a marine aquaculture lease management program and may adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the marine aquaculture lease management program and to regulate the growth of aquaculture.

(2) All state and governmental entities that are involved in the regulation and enforcement of marine aquaculture activities or related activities shall develop a coordinated procedure for one-stop permitting applicable to marine aquaculture activities. One-stop permitting is defined as a procedure that allows an aquaculturist to fill out a joint application form and deposit it with any of the aforementioned governmental agencies. The receiving agency shall forward the joint application * * * or copies of it to the appropriate entities for review and expeditious action. The one-stop permitting procedure document shall state the time schedules for review and action by the applicable agencies after the permit has been received and dated.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.