House Bill 1106

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF COMBINING THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE AND THE MISSISSIPPI FORESTRY COMMISSION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is created a legislative committee to study the effectiveness and efficiency of combining the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce and the Mississippi Forestry Commission.

The committee shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the House and Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committees by December 1, 2006, including any recommended legislation.

(2) The committee shall be composed of the following twelve (12) members:

(a) The chairman, vice chairman and one (1) at-large member of the House Agriculture Committee;

(b) The chairman, vice chairman and one (1) at-large member of the House Forestry Committee;

(d) The chairman, vice chairman and one (1) at-large member of the Senate Forestry Committee.

(3) The committee shall hold its first meeting within sixty (60) days after the passage of this act.

(4) Members of the committee shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same manner as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session. However, no per diem or expense for attending meetings of the committee will be paid while the Legislature is in session.

(5) To effectuate the purposes of this section, any department, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state or of any political subdivision thereof shall, at the request of the chairperson of the committee, provide to the committee such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the committee to properly carry out its duties.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.