Senate Bill 2664

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 29-5-161, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT THE STATE VETERANS HOMES FROM THE PROHIBITION ON SMOKING IN GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM BUILDINGS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 29-5-161, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

29-5-161. (1) As used in this section:

(a) "Smoke" or "smoking" means inhaling, exhaling, burning, carrying or otherwise possessing any lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe or any other object or device of any form that contains lighted tobacco.

(b) "Government building" means the New State Capitol Building, the Woolfolk State Office Building, the Carroll Gartin Justice Building, the Walter Sillers Office Building, the Heber Ladner Building, the Department of Transportation Building, the Robert E. Lee Office Building, the Robert G. Clark, Jr. Building, the State Board of Health Building, the Public Employees' Retirement System Building, the Central High Building, the Court of Appeals Building, the War Veterans' Memorial Building, the State Archives Building, the Ike Sanford Veterans Affairs Building, the Old State Capitol Building, the Burroughs Building, the Mayfair Building, 101 Capitol Centre and any other facility in the state that is owned or leased by the State of Mississippi or any agency, department or institution of the state and that is used for housing state employees during the time of performance of their regular duties for the state; any building owned, rented, leased, occupied or operated by the state, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches of state government; any county, municipality or any other political subdivision of the state; any public authority, commission, agency or public benefit corporation; or any other separate corporate instrumentality or unit of state or local government. If only part of a facility is leased by the state or an agency, department or institution of the state, or any county, municipality or other political subdivision of the state, only the leased part of the facility will be considered to be a government building for the purposes of this definition. The term "government building" shall not include the state veterans homes, any building owned or leased by the state institutions of higher learning or the public community and junior colleges, or any space in a government building used by law enforcement officers.

(c) "University or college classroom building" means any building used by the state institutions of higher learning or the public community and junior colleges exclusively for student instructional purposes. The term includes classrooms, auditoriums, theaters, laboratories, hallways and restrooms. Smoking policies applicable in the private offices of faculty and staff and other "smoking permitted" space may be determined by each academic and administrative department.

(2) No person shall smoke in any government building.

(3) No person shall smoke in any university or college classroom building.

(4) The person, agency or entity having jurisdiction or supervision over a government building or university/college classroom building shall not allow smoking in the government or university/college classroom building,and shall use reasonable efforts to prevent smoking in such building,including, but not limited to, the following:

(a) Posting appropriate signs informing employees, invitees, guests and other persons that smoking is prohibited in the building.

(b) Securing the removal of persons who smoke in the building.

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