House Bill 1261

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO REIMBURSE COUNTIES FOR THE COSTS OF HOUSING PERSONS WHO ARE INCARCERATED IN THE COUNTY JAIL BASED ON ACTION TAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AT THE MAXIMUM RATE PAID TO COUNTIES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR HOUSING STATE INMATES IN COUNTY JAILS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Upon vouchers submitted by the board of supervisors of any county housing persons in the county jail who are incarcerated on the basis of action taken by the Department of Human Services, the department shall pay to the county, out of any available funds, the maximum daily rate paid to counties under Section 47-5-901 for housing state inmates in county jails. The department shall make the payment to the county for each day that the person is confined in the county jail beginning with the fifth day following the date that the person is incarcerated and terminating on the date that the person is released or otherwise removed from the custody of the county jail. In addition, the department shall pay to the county the actual cost of providing medical care to those persons unless the Executive Director of Human Services finds that the costs are unreasonable. The funds received by the county under this section shall be placed in the county general fund and shall be expended only for the housing of those persons in the county jail.

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