Amendment_Report_for

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Mississippi Warrants Task Force. The purpose of the task force is to study: how warrants are issued in the state, the procedural elements of knock and announce warrants, the number of injuries, if any, that have occurred when executing warrants in the state, and the geographical locations of such executions and injuries occurred.

(2) The Mississippi Warrants Task Force shall be composed of the following members:

(a) The Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, who shall serve as chair;

(b) Executive Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, or his or her designee;

(d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Prosecutor's Association;

(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Sheriff's Association;

(f) The Director of the Office of State Public Defender;

(g) One (1) member appointed by the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives;

(h) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and

(i) One (1) member appointed from the Bureau of Investigations by the Commissioner of the Department of Safety.

(3) The Mississippi Warrants Task Force shall have the following duties, to:

(a) Study how warrants are issued throughout the state;

(b) Study all entities who are authorized to issue warrants, and provide a list of such entities;

(d) Study the number of injuries, if any, incurred when executing warrants in the state;

(e) Create standards for issuing and executing warrants, which shall include knock and announce warrants;

(f) Make recommendations regarding procedures for knock and announce warrants to the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Lieutenant Governor by October 1, 2021.

(4) The members of the task force shall serve at the will and pleasure of their respective appointing authorities. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(5) (a) The task force shall hold its first meeting no later than fifteen (15) days after July 1, 2021. At its first meeting, the task force shall adopt rules for transacting its business and keeping records.

(b) The task force shall meet and conduct business at least once a month. All meetings of the task force and any committees of the task force will be open to the public, with opportunities for public comment provided on a regular basis. Notice of all meetings shall be given as provided in the Open Meetings Act, Section 25-41-1 et seq. and appropriate notice also shall be given to all persons so requesting of the date, time and place of each meeting.

(c) The task force is assigned to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for administrative purposes only, and the department shall designate staff to assist the task force.

(6) Members of the task force who are not state officials or state employees may be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69 and may be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. If legislative members are appointed to the task force, they will be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same manner as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session. However, legislative members will not be paid per diem or expenses for attending meetings of the task force while the Legislature is in session. No task force member may incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote, at a meeting of the task force, which action must be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. Nonlegislative members may be paid from any funds made available to the task force for that purpose.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2021.