MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Penitentiary; Ways and Means

By: Representative Malone

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-19-155 AND 47-5-545, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE STATE LICENSE TAGS TO BE MANUFACTURED BY THE MISSISSIPPI PRISON INDUSTRIES CORPORATION; TO PROVIDE THAT SECTION 27-19-157, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH REQUIRES LICENSE TAGS TO BE PURCHASED FROM THE PENITENTIARY, IF THE PRISONERS ARE REQUIRED TO MANUFACTURE THE LICENSE TAGS, WILL BE REPEALED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 27-19-155, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

27-19-155. The license or number tag herein provided for shall be purchased by the License Tag Commission from the Mississippi Prison Industries Corporation as created under Sections 47-5-531 through 47-5-575. The License Tag Commission shall be composed of the Governor, Commissioner of Revenue, Attorney General, and the State Treasurer * * *. * * * The License Tag Commission is hereby authorized and empowered to renegotiate any contract entered into with the Mississippi Prison Industries Corporation for the purchase of license tags in order to obtain any other or additional tags necessitated by the passage of this article.

All license tags and numbered plates purchased under the provisions of this article, shall be paid for pursuant to an appropriation to be made for such purposes. All monies received by the State Tax Commission as registration or tag fees, either from the tax collectors, or from licenses issued by the State Tax Commission, shall be paid into the State Treasury on the same day in which such funds are collected by the State Tax Commission.

SECTION 2. Section 47-5-545, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

47-5-545. (1) Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, after the commissioning and implementation of a marketing feasibility study for any proposed new prison industry, the corporation may establish such prison industry. Before any new industry is established, the corporation shall hold a hearing to determine the impact such industry may have on the private sector market. The corporation shall provide adequate and advance notice regarding the nature, time, date and place of such hearing. After the hearing which is required under this section, the corporation may commence negotiations with the State Department of Corrections, with the Secretary of State, or his designee, serving as a mediator, regarding the leasing of land and other chattels for the purpose of establishing any new industry.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1) of this section, the corporation shall contract with the License Tag Commission as created in Section 27-19-155, for the manufacture of state license tags and numbered plates. All specifications for the state license tags shall be prescribed by the License Tag Commission.

SECTION 3. Section 27-19-157, Mississippi Code of 1972, which provides that state license tags are to be purchased from the Penitentiary, if prisoners are required to manufacture the license tags, is repealed.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.