Adopted

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO

Senate Bill No. 2072

BY: Committee

     Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1.  (1)  There is hereby created the Pecan Harvesting Law Transparency Study Committee to identify and examine all methods available to pecan growers and landowners upon whose property pecans are grown and harvested to maximize the benefits of their annual harvest yield, by ensuring that the best interest of pecan growers in the State of Mississippi remain an essential and viable agricultural market.  Additionally, the committee is tasked with the responsibility of reviewing any laws which adversely affect the state's pecan industry, and submitting its reports and recommendations to the 2022 Regular Session of the Legislature to ensure the sustainability of growers, promotion of growing opportunities to expand the market, and to provide growers and landowners equal protections under the law from theft and misappropriation of funds received from the sale of pecans harvested upon pecan grower's or landowners' property.

     (2)  The Study Committee shall be composed of the following nine (9) members:

          (a)  Two (2) members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor from the state at-large;

          (b)  Two (2) members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from the state at-large;

          (c)  The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee;

          (d)  The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee; and

          (e)  The President of the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association or his/her designee.

     (3)  Appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act.  The committee shall hold its first meeting before June 15, 2021.  The Chairmen of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees shall jointly serve as co-chairmen of the study committee.

     (4)  A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.  In the adoption of the rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the members shall be required.  All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, such notices shall be mailed at least five (5) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

     (5)  To effectuate the purposes of this section, any department, division, board, bureau, committee or agency of the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall, at the request of any member of the committee, provide such facilities, assistance, information and data as will enable the committee to properly carry out its duties.

     (6)  Upon the conclusion of its work, and presentation of its report and recommendations to the 2022 Regular Session of the Legislature for consideration, the study committee shall be dissolved.

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

     Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

     AN ACT TO CREATE THE PECAN HARVESTING LAW TRANSPARENCY STUDY COMMITTEE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMITTEE SHALL DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENSURING THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE STATE'S PECAN GROWERS REMAIN AN ESSENTIAL AND VIABLE AGRICULTURAL MARKET, AND TO ENSURE THAT PECAN GROWERS AND LANDOWNERS UPON WHOSE PROPERTY PECANS ARE GROWN AND HARVESTED ARE AFFORDED EQUAL PROTECTIONS UNDER THE LAW FROM THEFT AND MISAPPROPRIATIONS OF FUNDS RECEIVED FOR THE SALE OF PECANS HARVESTED UPON SAID GROWER'S OR LANDOWNERS' PROPERTY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.