MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Judiciary A

By: Representatives Compretta, Simpson

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 25-4-103 AND 25-4-105, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY EXCEPTIONS RELATIVE TO THE PROHIBITIONS IMPOSED UPON PUBLIC SERVANTS; TO REVISE CERTAIN DEFINITIONS; TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION FOR MINISTERIAL ACTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. It is the intent of this act to clarify the prohibitions created by Section 25-4-105 by recognizing that the performance of ministerial acts by a public servant does not fall within the scope of the prohibitions of Section 25-4-105, Mississippi Code of 1972, or Section 109 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. It is also the intent of this legislation to recognize that there is no violation of the prohibitions of Section 25-4-105, Mississippi Code of 1972, and of Section 109 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, when any pecuniary benefit to the public servant is minimal, speculative or remote.

SECTION 2. Section 25-4-103, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-4-103. The following definitions apply in this article unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Authority" means any component unit of a governmental entity.

(b) "Benefit" means any gain or advantage which is not minimal, speculative or remote to the beneficiary, including any gain or advantage to a third person pursuant to the desire or consent of the beneficiary.

(c) "Business" means any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, organization, holding company, self-employed individual, joint stock company, receivership, trust or other legal entity or undertaking organized for economic gain, a nonprofit corporation or other such entity, association or organization receiving public funds.

(d) "Business with which he is associated" means any business of which a public servant or his relative is an officer, director, owner, partner, employee or is a holder of more than ten percent (10%) of the fair market value or over which such public servant or his relatives exercise control and from which he or his relative derives more than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) in annual income * * *. This income figure shall increase January 1 of each calendar year beginning in the year 2001 by an amount equal to the average year-to-year increases, if any, in the United States Department of Labor Consumer Price Index for the Southeastern United States statistical area.

Passive ownership of less than ten percent (10%) of the stock in a publicly traded corporation so long as such ownership does not constitute control is expressly exempted.

(e) "Compensation" means money or thing of value received, or to be received, from any person for services rendered.

(f) "Contract" means:

(i) Any agreement to which the government is a party; or

(ii) Any agreement on behalf of the government which involves the payment of public funds.

(g) "Government" means the state and all political entities thereof, both collectively and separately, including, but not limited to:

(i) Counties;

(ii) Municipalities;

(iii) All school districts;

(iv) All courts; and

(v) Any department, agency, board, commission, institution, instrumentality, or legislative or administrative body of the state, counties or municipalities created by statute, ordinance or executive order including all units that expend public funds.

(h) "Governmental entity" means the state, a county, a municipality or any other separate political subdivision authorized by law to exercise a part of the sovereign power of the state.

(i) "Income" means money or thing of value received, or to be received, from any source derived, including, but not limited to, any salary, wage, advance, payment, dividend, interest, rent, forgiveness of debt, fee, royalty, commission or any combination thereof.

(j) "Intellectual property" means any formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process created primarily as a result of the research effort of an employee or employees of an institution of higher learning of the State of Mississippi.

(k) "Material financial interest" means a personal and pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, accruing to a public servant or spouse, either individually or in combination with each other. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not be deemed to be a material financial interest with respect to a business with which a public servant may be associated:

(i) Ownership of any interest of less than ten percent (10%) in a business where the aggregate annual net income to the public servant therefrom is less than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00). This income figure shall increase January 1 of each calendar year beginning in the year 2001 by an amount equal to the average year-to-year increase, if any, in the United States Department of Labor Consumer Price Index for the Southeastern United States statistical area;

(ii) Ownership of any interest of less than two percent (2%) in a business where the aggregate annual net income to the public servant therefrom is less than One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00). This income figure shall increase January 1 of each calendar year beginning in the year 2001 by an amount equal to the average year-to-year increase, if any, in the United States Department of Labor Consumer Price Index for the Southeastern United States statistical area;

(iii) The income as an employee of a relative if neither the public servant or relative is an officer, director or partner in the business and any ownership interest would not be deemed material pursuant to subparagraph (i) or (ii) herein; or

(iv) The income of the spouse of a public servant when such spouse is a contractor, subcontractor or vendor with the governmental entity that employs the public servant and the public servant exercises no control, direct or indirect, over the contract between the spouse and such governmental entity.

(l) "Pecuniary benefit" means benefit in the form of money, property, commercial interests or anything else the primary significance of which is economic gain. Expenses associated with social occasions afforded public servants shall not be deemed a pecuniary benefit.

(m) "Person" means any individual, firm, business, corporation, association, partnership, union or other legal entity, and where appropriate a governmental entity.

(n) "Property" means all real or personal property.

(o) "Public funds" means money belonging to the government.

(p) "Public servant" means:

(i) Any elected or appointed official of the government;

(ii) Any officer, director, commissioner, supervisor, chief, head, agent or employee of the government or any agency thereof, or of any public entity created by or under the laws of the state of Mississippi or created by an agency or governmental entity thereof, any of which is funded by public funds or which expends, authorizes or recommends the use of public funds; or

(iii) Any individual who receives a salary, per diem or expenses paid in whole or in part out of funds authorized to be expended by the government.

(q) "Relative" means the spouse, child or parent.

(r) "Securities" means stocks, bonds, notes, convertible debentures, warrants, evidences of debts or property or other such documents.

SECTION 3. Section 25-4-105, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-4-105. (1) No public servant shall use his official position to obtain pecuniary benefit for himself other than that compensation provided for by law, or to obtain pecuniary benefit for any relative or any business with which he is associated.

(2) No public servant shall be interested, directly or indirectly, during the term for which he shall have been chosen, or within one (1) year after the expiration of such term, in any contract with the state, or any district, county, city or town thereof, authorized by any law passed or order made by any board of which he may be or may have been a member.

(3) No public servant shall:

(a) Be a contractor, subcontractor or vendor with the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent, other than in his contract of employment, or have a material financial interest in any business which is a contractor, subcontractor or vendor with the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent.

(b) Be a purchaser, direct or indirect, at any sale made by him in his official capacity or by the governmental entity of which he is an officer or employee, except in respect of the sale of goods or services when provided as public utilities or offered to the general public on a uniform price schedule.

(c) Be a purchaser, direct or indirect, of any claim, certificate, warrant or other security issued by or to be paid out of the treasury of the governmental entity of which he is an officer or employee.

(d) Perform any service for any compensation during his term of office or employment by which he attempts to influence a decision of the authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member.

(e) Perform any service for any compensation for any person or business after termination of his office or employment in relation to any case, decision, proceeding or application with respect to which he was directly concerned or in which he personally participated during the period of his service or employment.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, a public servant or his relative:

(a) May be an officer or stockholder of banks or savings and loan associations or other such financial institutions bidding for bonds, notes or other evidences of debt or for the privilege of keeping as depositories the public funds of a governmental entity thereof or the editor or employee of any newspaper in which legal notices are required to be published in respect to the publication of said legal notices.

(b) May be a contractor or vendor with any authority of the governmental entity other than the authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent or have a material financial interest in a business which is a contractor or vendor with any authority of the governmental entity other than the authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent where such contract is let to the lowest and best bidder after competitive bidding and three (3) or more legitimate bids are received or where the goods, services or property involved are reasonably available from two (2) or fewer commercial sources, provided such transactions comply with the public purchases laws.

(c) May be a subcontractor with any authority of the governmental entity other than the authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent or have a material financial interest in a business which is a subcontractor with any authority of the governmental entity other than the authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent where the primary contract is let to the lowest and best bidder after competitive bidding or where such goods or services involved are reasonably available from two (2) or fewer commercial sources, provided such transactions comply with the public purchases laws.

(d) May be a contractor, subcontractor or vendor with any authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent or have a material financial interest in a business which is a contractor, subcontractor or vendor with any authority of the governmental entity of which he is a member, officer, employee or agent: (i) where such goods or services involved are reasonably available from two (2) or fewer commercial sources, provided such transactions comply with the public purchases laws; or (ii) where the contractual relationship involves the further research, development, testing, promotion or merchandising of an intellectual property created by the public servant.

(e) May purchase securities issued by the governmental entity of which he is an officer or employee if such securities are offered to the general public and are purchased at the same price as such securities are offered to the general public.

(f) May have an interest less than a material financial interest in a business which is a contractor, subcontractor or vendor with any governmental entity.

(g) May contract with the Mississippi Veteran's Home Purchase Board, Mississippi Housing Finance Corporation, or any other state loan program, for the purpose of securing a loan; however, public servants shall not receive favored treatment.

(h) May be employed by or receive compensation from an authority of the governmental entity other than the authority of the governmental entity of which the public servant is an officer or employee.

(i) If a member of the Legislature or other public servant employed on less than a full-time basis, may represent a person or organization for compensation before an authority of the governmental entity other than an authority of the governmental entity of which he is an officer or employee.

(j) If a constable, may be employed and receive compensation as a deputy sheriff of the county for which he serves as constable.

(5) No person may intentionally use or disclose information gained in the course of or by reason of his official position or employment as a public servant in any way that could result in pecuniary benefit for himself, any relative, or any other person, if the information has not been communicated to the public or is not public information.

(6) Notwithstanding any provisions of this section to the contrary, the performance by a public servant of an act that is ministerial in nature shall not be a violation of this section.

(7) Any contract made in violation of this section may be declared void by the governing body of the contracting or selling authority of the governmental subdivision or a court of competent jurisdiction and the contractor or subcontractor shall retain or receive only the reasonable value, with no increment for profit or commission, of the property or the services furnished prior to the date of receiving notice that the contract has been voided.

(8) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be punished as provided for in Sections 25-4-109 and 25-4-111.

SECTION 4. The Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.