House Bill 49

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ERECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF SIGNS OR PLACARDS ALONG THE RIGHTS-OF-WAY OF ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES MEMORIALIZING THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION WHERE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOR THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY WAS SLAIN WHILE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OR HER DUTIES; TO AUTHORIZE COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO APPROPRIATE MONIES FROM ANY AVAILABLE FUNDS AND TO ACCEPT DONATIONS, GIFTS AND GRANTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE EXPENSES INCURRED BY THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY IN THE MANUFACTURE, CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SUCH SIGNS AND PLACARDS; TO PROVIDE THAT ALL SUCH SIGNS AND PLACARDS MUST COMPLY WITH CERTAIN TRAFFIC CONTROL MANUALS AND RULES AND REGULATIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The boards of supervisors of counties and the governing authorities of municipalities may erect and maintain signs or placards along the rights-of-way of roads, streets and highways under their respective jurisdiction memorializing the approximate location where a law enforcement officer for the county or municipality was slain while in the performance of his or her duties before July 1, 2007, and shall erect and maintain such signs or placards at each such location within two (2) years of the death of a county or municipal law enforcement officer who was slain in the performance of his or her duties on or after July 1, 2007.

(2) The boards of supervisors and the governing authorities of municipalities may appropriate monies from any available funds of the county or municipality and may accept public or private donations, gifts and grants for the purpose of paying the expenses incurred by the county or municipality in the manufacture, construction, installation and maintenance of the signs and placards provided for under subsection (1) of this section. All such monies as a county or municipality appropriates or receives for such purposes shall be deposited into a special fund created within the general fund of the county or municipality, and may be expended only for the purposes described in this section.

(3) All signs and placards authorized under this section shall comply and be in conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto as accepted and adopted by the Mississippi Commissioner of Public Safety and the Mississippi Transportation Commission.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007.