House Bill 451

AN ACT TO CREATE WITHIN THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AN OFFICE TO BE KNOWN AS THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is created within the Mississippi Department of Public Safety an office to be known as the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security. The office shall have a director who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Public Safety. The commissioner may assign to the appropriate offices of the department such powers and duties deemed appropriate to carry out the lawful functions of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security.

(2) The commissioner is empowered to employ or appoint necessary agents. The commissioner may also employ such secretarial, clerical, and administrative personnel as necessary for the operation of the office, and shall have such quarters, equipment, and facilities as needed.

(3) The director and agents so appointed shall be citizens of the United States and of the State of Mississippi, and of good moral character. The agents shall be not less than twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of such appointment thereto, and those appointed shall have satisfactorily completed at least four (4) years of college studies or six (6) years of satisfactory service as either a law enforcement officer or on active duty with the United States Military. The director and all agents of the office shall be law enforcement officers, as that term is defined in Section 45-6-3, and shall have police powers and be subject to all requirements and educational training standards of the Board of Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training.

(4) The commissioner may enter into agreements with departments of other states or of the United States for the exchange or temporary assignment of agents for assignments and performance of specific duties.

(5) The commissioner may assign agents of the office to such duty and to request and accept agents from such other departments for such duty.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2010.