House Bill 479

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-3-42, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXPAND THE AUTHORITY OF COUNTY BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS TO PERFORM CERTAIN WORK AND MAKE CERTAIN EXPENDITURES FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 19-3-42, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-3-42. (1) The board of supervisors of any county is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to grade, gravel or shell, repair, and/or maintain private gravel or shell roads or driveways to private residences if such roads or driveways are used for school bus turnarounds.

(2) Prior to engaging in the work authorized in subsection (1) of this section, the board of supervisors shall spread upon the official minutes of the board:

(a) The written request of the school board for such work;

(b) The written approval of the board of supervisors for such work;

(d) The name of the owner of the road or driveway to be worked.

(3) The written request of the school board, as required in subsection (2)(a) above, shall contain a current list of all active school bus turnarounds presently in use by the school district or contemplated for use by the school district for the present school year. The approval by the board of supervisors shall be valid and effective for the period of time that a turnaround is anticipated for use, but in no event for a period greater than one (1) year.

(4) In addition to the authority granted in subsection (1) of this section * * *, the board of supervisors of any county is further authorized, in its discretion, to:

(a) Maintain public school grounds of the county, which shall include the authority to:

(i) Construct new buildings or structures;

(ii) Improve, repair or demolish existing buildings or structures;

(iii) Erect and install athletic and recreational equipment;

(iv) Clean, remove debris, and provide landscape services to the land and buildings;

(v) Expend from any available monies of the county such amount as the board of supervisors deems necessary or desirable to perform the work and services described in items (i) through (iv) of this paragraph; and

(b) Grade, gravel, shell or overlay, and/or * * * maintain gravel, shell, asphalt or concrete roads, driveways or parking lots of public schools of the county.

Before engaging in such work or services or expending any monies for such purposes, the board of supervisors shall spread upon its official minutes the written request of the school board for such work, services or expenditure, the written approval of the board of supervisors for such work, services or expenditure and the specific location of the school grounds or road, driveway or parking lot * * *.

(5) In addition to any other authority granted in this section, the board of supervisors of any county is hereby authorized, in its discretion, to repair and maintain driveways and parking lots of: (a) any nonprofit organization in the county which is tax exempt under Section 501(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and which has as one (1) of its primary purposes for organization to aid and assist in the rehabilitation of persons suffering from drug abuse or drug addiction; and (b) any private, nonprofit cemeteries in the county. The board of supervisors of any county shall not be authorized under the provisions of this subsection to repair or maintain driveways or parking lots located more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from the center of any highway, road or street under the jurisdiction of the county.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after October 1, 2003.