MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Judiciary

By: Senator(s) Scoper

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE WITHIN THE HIGHWAY SAFETY PATROL THE POSITION OF STATEWIDE SAFETY TRAINING OFFICER; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 45-1-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

45-1-2. (1) The Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety shall be the Commissioner of Public Safety.

(2) The Mississippi Department of Public Safety shall be organized into the following offices:

(a) Office of Public Safety Planning;

(b) Office of Medical Examiner;

(c) Office of Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol;

(d) Office of Crime Laboratories;

(e) Office of Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy;

(f) Office of Support Services.

(3) The department shall be headed by a commissioner who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The appointment of the commissioner shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. The commissioner may assign to the appropriate offices such powers and duties as deemed appropriate to carry out the department's lawful functions.

(4) The commissioner of the department shall appoint heads of offices, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. The commissioner shall have the authority to organize the offices established by subsection (2) of this section as deemed appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the department. The organization charts of the department shall be presented annually with the budget request of the Governor for review by the Legislature.

(5) The commissioner of the department shall appoint a statewide safety training officer who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner and whose duty it shall be to perform public training for both law enforcement and private persons throughout the state concerning proper emergency response to the mentally ill, terroristic threats or acts, domestic conflict, other conflict resolution, and such other matters as the commissioner may direct.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.