Senate Bill 2022

AN ACT TO CREATE THE ILLEGAL ACTS OF FAILURE TO DISCLOSE A PERSONAL GIFT FROM A LITIGANT TO ALL OTHER LITIGANTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) Any county, circuit or chancery court judge, judge of the Court of Appeals, justice of the Supreme Court, justice court judge, Workers' Compensation Commissioner, or administrative law judge who has received a personal monetary gift or the promise of a personal monetary gift in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) from any litigant or lawyer who has a case or matter pending before the commissioner, judge or justice shall disclose the gift or promise, and the nature and amount of the gift or promise, to all litigants and lawyers in the case or matter.

(2) Any litigant or lawyer having a case or matter pending before any of the officials listed in subsection (1) who has given or promised a personal monetary gift in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) to the official shall disclose the gift or promise, and the nature and amount of the gift or promise, to all litigants and lawyers in the case or matter.

(3) Violation of this section shall be a felony punishable by a fine not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) or imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections not to exceed five (5) years, or both.

(4) The provisions of this section shall be in addition to any other provisions of law applicable to commissioners, judges, justices, litigants or lawyers and shall not be construed so as to limit or negate any other provision of law.

SECTION 2. The Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.