Senate Bill 2649

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 33-7-119, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PLACEMENT OF CERTAIN FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED OFFICERS OR ENLISTED MEN ON THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD RETIRED LIST; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 33-7-119, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

33-7-119. (1) There shall be a retired list of officers and enlisted men who have served with honor or distinction on the active list of the Mississippi National Guard, and all officers and enlisted men placed on the retired list shall remain thereon unless returned to the active list by the Governor or dismissed by a sentence of a court-martial. No officer or man on the retired list shall be required to perform any military duty whatsoever, but the Governor may, with their consent, detail officers and men on the retired list for recruiting duty, for duty on courts-martial, or for such other duty as they may be qualified. Officers and men on the retired list will be entitled to wear uniforms of their grade, and they shall be amenable to military laws and regulations and may be tried by courts-martial for military offenses as if on the active list.

(2) Federally recognized officers and enlisted men of the National Guard of Mississippi shall be retired by order of the Commander in Chief with a promotion of one (1) grade, effective the date of retirement by action of the Adjutant General, upon receipt of the recommendation of the commanding officer of such retiring officer or enlisted man and upon completion of twenty (20) or more years of honorable service in the National Guard of Mississippi, the Armed Forces of the United States, or reserve components thereof, provided that any such officer or enlisted man shall be retired in the highest grade held, without promotion, unless the last sixty (60) months of such service was in a federally recognized status in the Mississippi National Guard or on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States. Any warrant officer holding the grade of highest chief warrant officer shall, upon retirement, be retired in that grade. Any enlisted man holding the highest authorized enlisted grade shall, upon retirement, be retired in that grade.

(3) Whenever any federally recognized officer or enlisted man * * * is unable to maintain federal recognition, he shall be placed on the retired list.

(4) When any officer or enlisted man becomes permanently disabled or is physically disqualified for the performance of military duty by reason of wounds, injuries or illness, he may, upon his own application or in the discretion of the Commander in Chief, be ordered before a retiring board for examination as to his physical fitness for military service and, upon the recommendation of such board, may be placed upon the retired list. However, no officer or enlisted man shall be so placed upon the retired list because of physical disabilities which are the result of intemperance or improper habits or conduct upon his part.

For the purposes indicated under the preceding paragraph of this subsection (4), the Commander in Chief may appoint retiring boards, which shall be constituted and have cognizance of the same subjects and possess like powers as similar boards organized under the laws of the Armed Forces of the United States. The proceedings of retiring boards shall be assimilated to the forms and mode of procedure prescribed for like boards under the regulations for the Armed Forces of the United States.

(5) A place on the retired list being a distinction given only in recognition of long and meritorious service, no officer or enlisted man will ever be retired whose service has not been honest and faithful. No officer or soldier will be retired as a means of punishment.

(6) An officer upon the retired list who accepts a commission or warrant in the active militia or in the organized reserves of any component of the Armed Forces of the United States may, at any time, upon his own application, be placed upon the retired list with the rank with which he formerly retired. However, if his latest service in the active militia or in the organized reserves of any component of the Armed Forces of the United States was in a grade higher than that with which he was originally retired, he may be given such higher grade. An officer who has been retired with the increased rank under this article will not be returned to the active list with his increased rank, but with the same rank held on the active list at the time of retirement.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.