House Bill 868

AN ACT TO CREATE A STUDY COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND DESIRABILITY OF REQUIRING PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY BELTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is created a study committee to determine the feasibility and desirability of requiring public school buses in the State of Mississippi to be equipped with safety belts. The study must include recommendations regarding the desirability of three-point lap-shoulder belts versus lap-only belts and whether a state mandate, if any, for school bus safety belts should be applicable only to newly purchased buses or also to school districts' existing fleets. The committee shall make a report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Legislature before October 30, 2007.

(2) The committee will be composed of the following members:

(a) The Chairman of the House Transportation Committee;

(b) The Chairman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee;

(d) Two (2) members of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;

(e) One (1) member of the House Education Committee, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(f) One (1) member of the Senate Education Committee, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and

(g) One (1) member appointed by the Governor.

Appointments must be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. Within fifteen (15) days after the period designated for making appointments, on a day to be designated jointly by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House, the committee shall meet and organize by selecting from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman. The vice chairman will serve as secretary and is responsible for keeping all records of the committee. A majority of the members of the committee constitutes a quorum. An affirmative vote of a majority of the committee is required in the transaction of all business. All members must be notified in writing of all meetings, and such notices must be mailed at least five (5) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(3) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials or state employees will be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69 and will be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Legislative 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 may be paid while the Legislature is in session. A committee member may not incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote, at a meeting of the committee, which action must be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. Nonlegislative members will be paid from any funds made available to the committee for that purpose.

(4) The committee may utilize clerical and legal staff already employed by the Legislature and any other staff assistance made available to it. To effectuate the purpose of this act, upon the request of the chairman of the committee, any department, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state or of any political subdivision of the state shall provide to the committee such facilities, assistance and data that will enable the committee to properly carry out its task.

(5) Upon presentation of its report to the Legislature, the committee shall be dissolved.

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