House Bill 571

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 93-13-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGES WHICH IS RECOVERABLE FROM THE PARENTS OF A CHILD RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH DAMAGES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 93-13-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

93-13-2. (1) Any property owner shall be entitled to recover damages * * *, plus necessary court costs, from the parents of any minor under the age of eighteen (18) years and over the age of ten (10), who maliciously and willfully damages or destroys property belonging to such owner. However, this section shall not apply to parents whose parental custody and control of such child have been removed by court order or decree.

(2) The action authorized in this section shall be in addition to all other actions which the owner is entitled to maintain and nothing in this section shall preclude recovery in a greater amount from the minor or from any person, including the parents, for damages to which such minor or other person would otherwise be liable.

(3) It is the purpose of this section to authorize recovery from parents in situations where they are not otherwise liable and to limit the amount of recovery. The provisions of this section shall apply only to acts committed on and after July 1, 1978.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.