MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Judiciary

By: Senator(s) Furniss

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-29-142, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE A DRUG-FREE ZONE IN, ON OR AROUND ANY PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT; TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 41-29-142, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-29-142. (1) Except as provided in subsection (f) of Section 41-29-139 or in subsection (2) of this section, any person who violates or conspires to violate Section 41-29-139(a)(1), Mississippi Code of 1972, by selling, bartering, transferring, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing or possessing with intent to sell, barter, transfer, manufacture, distribute or dispense, a controlled substance, in or on, or within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of, a building or outbuilding which is all or part of a public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school, or any church, public park, ballpark, public gymnasium, public housing development, youth center or movie theater or within one thousand (1,000) feet of, the real property comprising such public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school, or any church, public park, ballpark, public gymnasium, public housing development, youth center or movie theater shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by the term of imprisonment or a fine, or both, of that authorized by Section 41-29-139(b) and, in the discretion of the court, may be punished by a term of imprisonment or a fine, or both, of up to twice that authorized by Section 41-29-139(b).

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f) of Section 41-29-139, any person who violates or conspires to violate Section 41-29-139(a)(1), Mississippi Code of 1972, by selling, bartering, transferring, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing or possessing with intent to sell, barter, transfer, manufacture, distribute or dispense, a controlled substance, in or on, or within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of, a building or outbuilding which is all or part of a public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school, or any church, public park, ballpark, public gymnasium, public housing development, youth center or movie theater or within one thousand (1,000) feet of, the real property comprising such public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school, or any church, public park, ballpark, public gymnasium, public housing development, youth center or movie theater after a prior conviction under subsection (1) of this section has become final, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a term of imprisonment of not less than twenty (20) years and not more than life, and in the discretion of the court, may be punished by a term of imprisonment of up to three (3) times that authorized by Section 41-29-139(b), but not less than five (5) years, for a first offense, or a fine of up to three (3) times that authorized by Section 41-29-139(b), for a first offense, or both.

(3) For the purpose of this section, the term "public housing development" means any low-income housing project of any state, county, municipal, or other governmental entity or public body owned and operated by a public housing authority which has an on-site manager; it shall not include single-family dispersed housing or small or large clusters of dispersed housing which have no on-site manager.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2001.