House Bill 1360

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-5-51, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE BOUNTY AMOUNT THAT ANY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MAY OFFER FOR BEAVER, NUTRIA AND BOBCATS; TO REVISE THE BOUNTY AMOUNT THAT THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS MAY OFFER FOR BEAVER; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 19-5-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-5-51. Any board of supervisors may, in its discretion, by appropriate resolution spread upon its minutes, offer a bounty not to exceed Twenty Dollars ($20.00) for each nutria, beaver or bobcat destroyed, where such board finds and determines that nutria, beaver or bobcats are in such quantities that the preservation of trees and other properties requires such bounties to be offered. Upon presentation to the sheriff of the complete tail of a nutria, beaver or bobcat, the sheriff shall execute a receipt therefor. Upon filing of such receipt with the chancery clerk, the amount of such bounty may be allowed by the board of supervisors as are other accounts against the county.

There is further provided a bounty on beaver not to exceed Twenty Dollars ($20.00) for each beaver to be paid in the following manner: upon the presentation of the tail of any beaver, any conservation officer of the state shall issue a receipt in such form as prescribed by the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to the person presenting such tail. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks shall redeem such receipts by paying to such person a sum not to exceed Twenty Dollars ($20.00) for each such receipt as bounty. The redemption of such receipts shall be paid only from funds especially appropriated for this purpose and it is expressly provided that no such bounty shall be paid from any regular receipts, funds and appropriations of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

For the purposes of carrying out the purposes of this section, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and the State Forestry Commission are authorized, empowered and directed, when requested by the board of supervisors or any property owner, to utilize funds, personnel and equipment under reasonable terms and conditions.

No bounty shall be paid when funds, personnel or equipment of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the State Forestry Commission or the county are employed in capturing and killing such animals.

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