Senate Bill 2074

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT ANY OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE OF ANY STATE AGENCY, COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY OR ANY OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE WHO HAS BEEN ASSIGNED OR ISSUED A CELLULAR TELEPHONE PAID FOR BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM USING SUCH TELEPHONE FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES; TO PROHIBIT SUCH EMPLOYEES FROM BEING REIMBURSED FOR USE OF THEIR PERSONAL CELLULAR TELEPHONES; TO REQUIRE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO SELECT CELLULAR TELEPHONE VENDORS FROM A STATE APPROVED LIST; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) No officer or employee of any state agency, any county, any municipality or any other political subdivision of the state, or any instrumentality thereof, to whom has been assigned, issued or made available the use of a cellular telephone, the cost of which is paid through the use of public funds, shall use such phone for personal use.

(2) A state agency, county, municipality or other political subdivision of the state, or any instrumentality thereof, shall not reimburse any officer or employee for use of his or her personal cellular telephone.

(3) Every state agency, county, municipality and other political subdivision of the state that, at the expense of the governmental entity, assigns, issues or makes available to any of its officers or employees a cellular telephone shall obtain detailed call billing for every cellular account. A list of approved vendors for the delivery of cellular telephone services shall be developed for state agencies and political subdivisions of the state by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services. The department may exercise the option of selecting one (1) vendor to provide the services, or if it deems such to be most advantageous to the state, it may select multiple vendors. If it chooses to use multiple vendors, the department may select vendors on the basis of lowest and best bid proposals, or it may establish a state contract per minute price and allow any vendor who agrees to provide service at the contract price to be added to the list of vendors. A state agency or political subdivision may not contract for cellular telephone services with any vendor unless the vendor appears on a list approved by the department.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after October 1, 2004.