House Bill 570

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-519, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE SHERIFF AND HIS DEPUTIES IN ANY COUNTY HAVING A POPULATION OF 100,000 OR MORE TO USE RADAR SPEED DETECTION EQUIPMENT UPON THE PUBLIC STREETS, ROADS AND HIGHWAYS WITHIN THE COUNTY, LYING OUTSIDE THE LIMITS OF ANY INCORPORATED MUNICIPALITY, AND EXCLUDING ANY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY; TO FORBID THE LEVY OF ANY FINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISSUANCE OF A CITATION WHERE A DRIVER IS DETECTED TO HAVE BEEN TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT, AS DETECTED BY THE SHERIFF OR HIS DEPUTIES THROUGH THE USE OF RADAR SPEED DETECTION EQUIPMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 63-3-519, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

63-3-519. It shall be unlawful for any person or peace officer or law enforcement agency, except the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol, to purchase or use or allow to be used any type of radar speed detection equipment upon any public street, road or highway of this state. However, such equipment may be used:

* * *1. (a) By municipal law enforcement officers within a municipality having a population of two thousand (2,000) or more upon the public streets of the municipality;

* * *2. (b) By any college or university campus police force within the confines of any campus wherein more than two thousand (2,000) students are enrolled;

* * *3. (c) By municipal law enforcement officers in any municipality having a population in excess of fifteen thousand (15,000) according to the latest federal census on federally designated highways lying within the corporate limits.

(d) By the sheriff and deputy sheriffs of any county having a population of one-hundred thousand (100,000) or more according to the 2010 federal decennial census, on any public road, street or highway within the county, excluding any interstate highway, which is located outside the corporate limits of any incorporated municipality. However, no fine shall be levied in association with the issuance of a citation resulting from a speeding violation detected by a sheriff or deputy sheriff through the use of radar speed detection equipment under this section.

The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol will not set up radar on highways within municipalities with a population in excess of fifteen thousand (15,000) according to the latest federal census.

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