Senate Bill 2346

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-25-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THAT FUTURE CANDIDATES FOR SHERIFF MUST BE CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS; TO PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION TO THIS PROVISION FOR SHERIFFS ELECTED PRIOR TO JULY 1, 2026; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 19-25-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-25-3. (1) A person shall not be eligible to the office of sheriff who shall, at the time of the election, be a defaulter to the state, or any county or municipality thereof, or to the United States. Any person who is not a qualified elector, or who denies the existence of a Supreme Being, shall not be eligible to said office. A sheriff shall be eligible to immediately succeed himself or herself in office.

(2) A person shall not be eligible to be a candidate for the office of sheriff if he or she, at the time of the election, is not a certified law enforcement officer. For the purpose of this section, "certified law enforcement officer" means any officer who has been certified by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training, and has ten (10) or more years of service in law enforcement. No sheriff elected prior to July 1, 2026, shall be required to comply with the requirements of this subsection.

(3) Prior to taking the oath of office and entering into the performance of the duties and obligations of sheriff, or as soon after his or her election as possible, each sheriff-elect, excluding those who have previously served as sheriff, or have had at least five (5) years' experience as a full-time enforcement officer, or have previously successfully completed a course of training at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy or the Jackson Police Academy, shall, at the expense of the county, attend and complete an appropriate curriculum in the field of law enforcement at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy. Any sheriff exempted from attendance because of previous service as sheriff or having five (5) years' full-time law enforcement experience must have served as sheriff or obtained such experience within a period of ten (10) years prior to the date of his or her taking the oath of office. Any sheriff exempted from attendance because of successful completion of a course of training at either of the aforementioned academies must have completed such course within five (5) years prior to the date of his or her taking the oath of office. No sheriff, excluding those specified as being exempt from the initial course in this section, shall until he or she has attended said Academy be entitled to payment of salary after the first one (1) year in office if he or she fails to attend said academy as herein provided within one (1) year after his or her taking office. All sheriffs shall, on a periodic basis, attend additional advanced courses in law enforcement in order that they will be properly informed and trained in the modern, technical advances of law enforcement.

Prior to July 1, 1973, or as soon thereafter as permitted by vacancies at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy, either the sheriff or one (1) deputy sheriff in each county having two (2) or more full-time deputies shall, at the expense of the county, attend and complete an appropriate curriculum in the field of narcotics and dangerous drugs at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy. In the event that a new sheriff is elected who has not previously received such training or at least one (1) of his or her deputies has not previously received such training, or if for any other reason neither the sheriff nor any of the deputy sheriffs in a county shall have received such training, then the sheriff shall promptly notify the director of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy and either the sheriff or a deputy sheriff, as soon thereafter as permitted by vacancies at the academy, shall, at the expense of the county, attend and complete an appropriate curriculum in the field of narcotics and dangerous drugs.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.