MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Fees, Salaries and Administration

By: Senator(s) Huggins

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ESTABLISH AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO IMPLEMENT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT; 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 Commissioner of Public Safety shall establish the organizational structure of the Department of Public Safety which shall include the creation of any units necessary to implement the duties assigned to the department and consistent with specific requirements of law, including but not limited to:

(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, from within the Department of Public Safety, 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, 2001.