House Bill 310

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 55-3-33, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS TO PROVIDE A DISCOUNT ON ADMISSIONS TO STATE PARKS TO SENIOR CITIZENS AGE 65 YEARS AND OLDER; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 55-3-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

55-3-33. (1) The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks may:

(a) Take charge and have full jurisdiction and control over all state parks, which parks shall be operated for the purpose of providing outdoor recreational activities and enjoyment for the citizens of the State of Mississippi and for the purpose of attracting visitors to the state.

(b) Set up a uniform accounting procedure for the state parks and prescribe the manner in which books, records and accounts shall be kept, which procedure shall account for all monies taken in and expended by the various parks and shall provide for periodic audits of such books.

(c) Accept gifts, bequests of money or other property, real or personal, to be used for the purpose of advancing the recreation and conservation interests in state parks. The department is authorized, subject to approval by the State Legislature, to purchase property, real or personal, to be used for state park purposes.

(d) Contract with the State Transportation Commission, any municipality or board of supervisors of the state for locating, constructing and maintaining roads and other improvements in state parks and for payment of a part of the costs thereof; however, no county or municipality more than twenty-five (25) miles distant from a state park may contract for, or do, or pay for any such work for a state park other than the International Gardens of Mississippi. Any county or municipality authorized to assist financially under the provisions of Sections 55-3-31 through 55-3-51 is authorized, in the discretion of its respective governing authority, to set aside, appropriate and expend monies from the General Fund for the purpose of defraying such expense after a mandatory election is held on the question within the county or municipality.

(e) Designate employees as peace officers with power to make arrests for infraction of the rules and regulations of the department. Such officers are authorized to carry weapons and to enforce the laws of the State of Mississippi within the confines of a state park.

(f) Enforce and delegate the responsibility to enforce all reasonable rules and regulations governing the occupancy and use of lands and waters in state parks under its jurisdiction, supply recreational and conservation facilities and charge fees for the use of same; review all rates and charges for facilities and accommodations furnished at the various state parks annually, making such charges as are justified; and establish fees for entrance to state parks.

(g) To periodically establish a discounted fee or fees for the entry and use of selected state parks and recreational facilities. The discounted fee or fees shall only be used for the purpose or purposes of marketing and promotion to increase the patronage and revenue of those selected parks and facilities. The discounted fee or fees shall not be considered a donation of state property. However, in providing discounted rates, the department shall provide a permanent discount to senior citizens who are age sixty-five (65) years and older in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the fees established for admission to state parks. The discount provided to senior citizens shall be in addition to any marketing and promotional discount provided at selected parks and facilities.

Each park shall retain from revenues generated therein, a sum sufficient to pay necessary expenses of operation, but in no event to be less than seventy-five percent (75%) of such revenues.

(2) The department shall have the authority to lease to any entity, sell and convey or otherwise transfer to any county or municipality, or close any state park or historical site within its jurisdiction which received a general fund subsidy in fiscal year 1985 in excess of Two Dollars ($2.00) per visitor to such state park or historical site; provided, however, that this authority shall not include the authority to sell, lease or convey any park that was not in operation under the jurisdiction of the department for a full fiscal year prior to fiscal year 1986.

(3) The department may execute agreements with rails-to-trails and recreational districts by which the department will assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of trails developed under Sections 55-25-1 through 55-25-15.

(4) (a) The department may contract with the electric public utility with a certificate of public convenience and necessity to serve the area where a state park is located for the transfer of ownership of the electrical infrastructure in the state park to that electric public utility.

(b) If the electric public utility enters into an agreement for the operation and maintenance of electrical facilities in a state park, the electric public utility may perform any upgrades to the electrical infrastructure of the park that are necessary for the electrical infrastructure to be in compliance with the electric public utility standards. The electric public utility may assess the costs of the upgrades to the department upon the terms and conditions agreed to by the department and the electric public utility.

(c) The department may contract with the electric public utility with the certificate of public convenience and necessity to serve the area for the erection, construction, maintenance, operation and control of electric distribution substations, electric transmission lines, electrical appurtenances, electrical appliances or electrical equipment necessary or useful in the operation or distribution of electric power or energy in the state park.

(d) Any agreement entered into by the department and an electric public utility under this subsection is exempt from the public purchasing requirements under Section 31-7-13.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.