Senate Bill 2933

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 93-21-107, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE LOCAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR CERTAIN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 93-21-107, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

93-21-107. (1) To qualify for funds under the provisions of Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113, a domestic violence shelter shall meet all the following requirements:

(a) Be incorporated in the state or recognized by the Secretary of State as a private or public nonprofit corporation. Such corporation shall have a board of directors and/or an advisory committee who represents the racial, ethnic and social economic diversity of the area to be served, including, if possible, at least one (1) person who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.

(b) Have designed and developed a program to provide the following basic services to victims of domestic violence and their children:

(i) Shelter on a twenty-four (24) hour a day, seven (7) days a week basis.

(ii) A twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) days a week switchboard for crisis calls.

(iii) Temporary housing and food facilities.

(iv) Group support and peer counseling.

(v) Referrals to existing services in the community and follow-up on the outcome of the referrals.

(vi) A method of referral for medical care, legal assistance and group support and counseling of victims of domestic violence.

(vii) Information regarding reeducation, marriage and family counseling, job counseling, and training programs, housing referrals, and other available social services.

(viii) A referral program of counseling for the victim and the offender.

(2) Domestic violence shelters shall establish procedures for admission of victims of domestic violence who may seek admission to these shelters on a voluntary basis.

(3) A domestic violence shelter shall not qualify for funds if it discriminates in its admissions or provision of services on the basis of race, religion, color, age, marital status, national origin or ancestry.

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(4) A domestic violence shelter receiving state funding under the provisions of Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113 shall not be prohibited from accepting gifts, trusts, bequests, grants, endowments, federal funds, other special source funds or transfers of property of any kind for the support of that shelter program.

(5) No domestic violence shelter may receive more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) annually from state funding under the provisions of Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113.

(6) A domestic violence shelter shall require persons employed by or volunteering services to the shelter to maintain the confidentiality of any information that would identify individuals served by the shelter.

(7) A domestic violence shelter shall provide educational programs relating to battered spouses and domestic violence designed for both the community at large and/or specialized groups such as hospital personnel and law enforcement officials.

(8) No child shall be placed in any domestic violence shelter that receives state funding under these provisions of Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113, and no domestic violence shelter that receives state funding under these provisions may admit or accept any child, unless the child is accompanied by his parent or guardian and such parent or guardian will remain with the child in the shelter until the child leaves or is released from the shelter. However, this subsection shall not prevent any rape crisis center from providing care, counseling and related services to any child who is a victim of rape, attempted rape, sexual battery or attempted sexual battery and who is not accompanied by his parent or guardian.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.