Senate Bill 2484

AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTIONS 49-16-1 AND 49-16-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES, AND THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR COASTAL RESILIENCY AND RESTORATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 49-16-1, Mississippi Code of 1972:

49-16-1. The Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and the Mississippi Development Authority shall be responsible for developing a master plan for coastal resiliency and restoration. These departments are authorized to utilize their staffs to accomplish this plan.

SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 49-16-3, Mississippi Code of 1972:

49-16-3. (1) The agencies set out in Section 1 of this act shall be responsible for developing a master plan for coastal resiliency and restoration which shall be revised as deemed necessary by the agencies. Representatives of the three (3) agencies shall meet at least once annually to determine what steps need to be taken in association with the development and modifications to the resiliency and restoration master plan.

(2) Respecting the development of a coastal resiliency and restoration master plan, the agencies' duties and responsibilities are as follows:

(a) To identify priority-need areas;

(b) To identify and define the state's goals and objectives for the state's coastal resiliency and restoration efforts;

(c) To identify metrics and criteria by which to assess the impact of the state's coastal resiliency and restoration efforts and a method for monitoring such efforts;

(d) To identify the available funding sources that could be used to carry out a coastal resiliency and restoration master plan, including the limitations of each funding source. In carrying out this duty, the committee shall not be limited to a particular agency program or funding stream;

(e) To identify strategies to collaborate and leverage state, federal, and local funding; and

(f) To identify any changes in statutes, regulations, or structure that need to be amended to better support the state's coastal resiliency and restoration process.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.