House Bill 1611

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT WHENEVER A STATE OF EMERGENCY IS DECLARED, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ANY COUNTY AND THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF ANY MUNICIPALITY, IN THE AFFECTED AREAS OF THE DECLARATION, ARE AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE EMERGENCY LICENSES FOR OUT-OF-STATE CONTRACTORS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 19-5-9, 21-19-25 AND 73-59-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) Whenever a state of emergency is declared pursuant to Sections 33-15-1, et seq., by the Governor or a county, the board of supervisors of any county and the governing authorities of any municipality are authorized to issue emergency licenses and registrations for out-of-state builders and specialty contractors whenever such emergency effects the areas of the local governing authorities.

(2) To qualify for an emergency license or registration, an individual, at the time of application, must submit a verification letter issued by the individual's home state in which the applicant's principal place of business is located as proof that his or her license is in good standing. The emergency license registration may be issued only to the individual shown on the home-state license. The home-state license must have been issued by examination or is a "grandfathered" in license. No other forms of home-state licensure shall be accepted as proof of licensure under this section.

(3) In addition to proof of home state licensure, an applicate must also provide the following:

(a) An emergency license application that is provided by the county or municipality;

(b) A national criminal background report current within fourteen (14) days of the date of application. A criminal background report showing misdemeanors listed for twenty-four (24) months or felonies listed for fifteen (15) years prior to the application date shall not qualify for licensure;

(c) A current bond for home builders of at least Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) and current bond for specialty contractors of at least Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00); and

(d) A fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) that is paid to a county or municipality, as the case may be.

(4) An emergency license or registration that may be issued by a county or municipality shall be:

(a) Issued for one (1) specific event;

(b) Limited to a total valuation of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) for any single project for home builders and a total valuation of Thirty-five Thousand Dollars ($35,000.00) for any single project for specialty contractors;

(d) Valid only within the area of the declared emergency; and

(e) Valid only for the duration of the emergency declaration or as extended at the board of supervisors or municipal governing authorities discretion.

(5) The powers and authority granted and set forth in this section shall be additional and supplemental to any other powers and authority granted by law concerning contractors obtaining licenses.

SECTION 2. Section 19-5-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-5-9. (1) The construction codes published by a nationally recognized code group which sets minimum standards and has the proper provisions to maintain up-to-date amendments are adopted as minimum standard guides for building, plumbing, electrical, gas, sanitary, and other related codes in Mississippi. Any county within the State of Mississippi, in the discretion of the board of supervisors, may adopt building codes, plumbing codes, electrical codes, sanitary codes, or other related codes dealing with general public health, safety or welfare, or a combination of the same, within but not exceeding the provisions of the construction codes published by nationally recognized code groups, by order or resolution in the manner prescribed in this section, but those codes so adopted shall apply only to the unincorporated areas of the county. However, those codes shall not apply to the erection, maintenance, repair or extension of farm buildings or farm structures, except as may be required under the terms of the "Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973," and shall apply to a master planned community as defined in Section 19-5-10 only to the extent allowed in Section 19-5-10. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to authorize the adoption of any code which applies to the installation, repair or maintenance of electric wires, pipelines, apparatus, equipment or devices by or for a utility rendering public utility services, required by it to be utilized in the rendition of its duly authorized service to the public. Before any such code shall be adopted, it shall be either printed or typewritten and shall be presented in pamphlet form to the board of supervisors at a regular meeting. The order or resolution adopting the code shall not set out the code in full, but shall merely identify the same. The vote or passage of the order or resolution shall be the same as on any other order or resolution. After its adoption, the code or codes shall be certified to by the president and clerk of the board of supervisors and shall be filed as a permanent record in the office of the clerk who shall not be required to transcribe and record the same in the minute book as other orders and resolutions.

(2) If the board of supervisors of any county adopts or has adopted construction codes which do not have proper provisions to maintain up-to-date amendments, specifications in such codes for cements used in portland cement concrete shall be superseded by nationally recognized specifications referenced in any code adopted by the Mississippi Building Code Council.

(3) All provisions of this section shall apply to amendments and revisions of the codes mentioned in this section. The provisions of this section shall be in addition and supplemental to any existing laws authorizing the adoption, amendment or revision of county orders, resolutions or codes.

(4) Any code adopted under the provisions of this section shall not be in operation or force until sixty (60) days have elapsed from the adoption of same; however, any code adopted for the immediate preservation of the public health, safety and general welfare may be effective from and after its adoption by a unanimous vote of the members of the board. Within five (5) days after the adoption or passage of an order or resolution adopting that code or codes the clerk of the board of supervisors shall publish in a legal newspaper published in the county the full text of the order or resolution adopting and approving the code, and the publication shall be inserted at least three (3) times, and shall be completed within thirty (30) days after the passage of the order or resolution.

(5) Any person or persons objecting to the code or codes may object in writing to the provisions of the code or codes within sixty (60) days after the passage of the order or resolution approving same, and if the board of supervisors adjudicates that ten percent (10%) or more of the qualified electors residing in the affected unincorporated areas of the county have objected in writing to the code or codes, then in such event the code shall be inoperative and not in effect unless adopted for the immediate preservation of the public health, safety and general welfare until approved by a special election called by the board of supervisors as other special elections are called and conducted by the election commissioners of the county as other special elections are conducted, the special election to be participated in by all the qualified electors of the county residing in the unincorporated areas of the county. If the voters approve the code or codes in the special election it shall be in force and in operation thereafter until amended or modified as provided in this section. If the majority of the qualified electors voting in the special election vote against the code or codes, then, in such event, the code or codes shall be void and of no force and effect, and no other code or codes dealing with that subject shall be adopted under the provisions of this section until at least two (2) years thereafter.

(6) After any such code shall take effect the board of supervisors is authorized to employ such directors and other personnel as the board, in its discretion, deems necessary and to expend general county funds or any other funds available to the board to fulfill the purposes of this section.

(7) For the purpose of promoting health, safety, morals or the general welfare of the community, the governing authority of any municipality, and, with respect to the unincorporated part of any county, the governing authority of any county, in its discretion, is empowered to regulate the height, number of stories and size of building and other structures, the percentage of lot that may be occupied, the size of the yards, courts and other open spaces, the density or population, and the location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence or other purposes, but no permits shall be required except as may be required under the terms of the "Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973" for the erection, maintenance, repair or extension of farm buildings or farm structures outside the corporate limits of municipalities.

(8) The authority granted in this section is cumulative and supplemental to any other authority granted by law.

(9) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any code adopted by a county before or after April 12, 2001, is subject to the provisions of Section 41-26-14(10).

(10) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the Boards of Supervisors of Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone and Pearl River Counties shall enforce the requirements imposed under Section 17-2-1 as provided in such section.

(11) Regardless of whether a county adopts or has adopted codes, as set forth in this section, each and every county in this state shall require permitting as a condition to construction within the unincorporated areas of the county, and such permits shall contain, on their face, in conspicuous print, (a) the contractor's material purchase certificate number to the extent furnished by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 27-65-21(3) or the contractor's Taxpayer Identification Number as furnished by the Internal Revenue Service, and either a copy of such material purchase certificate furnished by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 27-65-21(3), or a copy of the contractor's W-9, as the case may be, shall be required to be provided to the county as part of the prime contractor's application for such permit, prior to the issuance of such permit, and (b) the contractor's license or certificate of responsibility number as required by either Section 31-3-14 et seq., 51-5-1 et seq. or 73-59-1 et seq.

In addition to this subsection, when a state of emergency is declared the provisions under Section 1 of this act shall be applicable for out-of-state contractors who perform work in an affected area of a county due to the state of emergency.

SECTION 3. Section 21-19-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

21-19-25. (1) Any municipality within the State of Mississippi may, in the discretion of its governing authority, adopt building codes, plumbing codes, electrical codes, gas codes, sanitary codes, or any other codes dealing with general public health, safety or welfare, or a combination of the same, by ordinance, in the manner prescribed in this section. Before any such code shall be adopted, it shall be either printed or typewritten, and it shall be presented in pamphlet form to the governing authority of the municipality at a regular meeting. The ordinance adopting the code shall not set out the code in full, but shall merely identify the same. The vote on passage of the ordinance shall be the same as on any other ordinances. After its adoption, the code shall be certified to by the mayor and clerk of the municipality, and shall be filed as a permanent record in the office of the clerk, who shall not be required to transcribe and record the same in the ordinance book as other ordinances. It shall not be necessary that the ordinance adopting the code or the code itself be published in full, but notice of the adoption of the code shall be given by publication in some newspaper of the municipality for one (1) time, or if there be no such newspaper, by posting at three (3) or more public places within the corporate limits, a notice in substantially the following form:

Notice is given that the city (or town or village) of _________, on the (give date of ordinance adopting code), adopted (state type of code and other information serving to identify the same) code.

(2) If the governing authority of any municipality adopts or has adopted construction codes which do not have proper provisions to maintain up-to-date amendments, specifications in such codes for cements used in portland cement concrete shall be superseded by nationally recognized specifications referenced in any code adopted by the Mississippi Building Code Council.

(3) All the provisions of this section shall apply to amendments and revisions of the code mentioned in this section. Any code adopted in accordance with this section shall not be in force for one (1) month after its passage, unless the municipal authorities in the ordinance authorize to the contrary. The provisions of this section shall be in addition and supplemental to any existing laws authorizing the adoption, amendment or revision of municipal ordinances or codes.

(4) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any code adopted by a municipality before or after April 12, 2001, is subject to the provisions of Section 41-26-14(10).

(5) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the governing authorities of each municipality in Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone and Pearl River Counties shall enforce the requirements imposed under Section 17-2-1 as provided in such section.

(6) Regardless of whether the governing authority of any municipality adopts or has adopted construction codes, as set forth in this section, each and every governing authority of any municipality shall require permitting as a condition to construction within the municipality's jurisdiction, and any and all such permits shall contain on their faces, in conspicuous print, (a) the contractor's material purchase certificate number to the extent one is furnished by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 27-65-21(3) or the contractor's Taxpayer Identification Number as furnished by the Internal Revenue Service, and either a copy of such material purchase certificate furnished by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 27-65-21(3), or a copy of the contractor's W-9, as the case may be, shall be required to be provided to the governing authority of such municipality as part of the contractor's application for such permit, prior to the issuance of such permit, and (b) the contractor's license or certificate of responsibility number as required by either Section 31-3-14 et seq., 51-5-1 et seq. or 73-59-1 et seq.

(7) The provisions of this section shall apply to all municipalities of this state, whether operating under the code charter, a special charter, commission form, or other form of government.

SECTION 4. Section 73-59-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

73-59-7. In addition to the requirements under Section 1 of this act for out-of-state contractors, in the event of a catastrophe or emergency which arises out of a disaster, act of God, riot, civil commotion, conflagration or other similar occurrence, the board, upon application, may issue an emergency license to persons who are residents or nonresidents of this state and who may or may not be otherwise licensed residential builders or remodelers; however, for nonresidents, such persons are also subject to the additional requirements under Section 1 of this act. Such emergency license shall remain in force for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days, unless extended for an additional period of ninety (90) days by the board or until a contract to build or remodel entered into during the period of the emergency license has been completed.

Within five (5) days of any applicant beginning work as a residential builder or remodeler under this section, the employer or person contracting with such person shall certify to the board such application without being deemed in violation of this chapter, provided that the board, after notice and hearing, may take disciplinary action or revoke the emergency license upon grounds as otherwise contained in this chapter providing for such disciplinary action or revocation of a residential builder's or remodeler's license.

The fee for an emergency license shall be in an amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) as determined by the board and shall be due and payable at the time of the issuance of such emergency license.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.