House Bill 1379

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION, ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, TO TRANSFER TO THE STATE VETERANS AFFAIRS BOARD CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY COASTAL PLAINS EXPERIMENT STATION IN NEWTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, FOR USE AS AN ADDITION TO THE MISSISSIPPI VETERANS MEMORIAL CEMETERY; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 35-1-43, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE VETERANS AFFAIRS BOARD TO ESTABLISH A MISSISSIPPI IRAQ AFGHANISTAN WAR MEMORIAL AT THE CEMETERY, TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD TO RECEIVE FUNDS FOR THE MEMORIAL, AND TO CREATE A SPECIAL FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY FOR THE DEPOSIT OF FUNDS RECEIVED BY THE BOARD FOR THE MEMORIAL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Department of Finance and Administration, acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, may transfer to the State Veterans Affairs Board certain state-owned real property located at the Mississippi State University Coastal Plains Experiment Station in Newton County, Mississippi, such property being more specifically described as follows:

Commence at an iron pin marking the Southwest corner of the SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 21, Township 6 North, Range 12 East, Newton County, Mississippi;
Thence run North for a distance of 95.95 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin;
Thence run East for a distance of 184.22 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin; Said point being the Point of Beginning of the herein described parcel of land;
Thence run South 85 degrees 23 minutes 59 seconds East for a distance of 302.28 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin;
Thence run South 56 degrees 40 minutes 42 seconds East for a distance of 385.15 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin;
Thence run South 37 degrees 53 minutes 48 seconds West for a distance of 200.11 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin;
Thence run South 13 degrees 50 minutes 47 seconds West for a distance of 790.43 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin on the north right-of-way line of Mississippi Highway No. 80;

Thence run North 76 degrees 00 minutes 58 seconds West along said north right-of-way line of Highway 80 a distance of 472.38 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin;
Thence run North 16 degrees 31 minutes 02 seconds East for a distance of 499.06 feet to a 1/2" round iron pin;
Thence run North 00 degrees 32 minutes 52 seconds East for a distance of 568.60 feet to back to the Point of Beginning; Said parcel of land is part of the SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 21, Township 6 North, Range 12 East and part of the NW 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 28, Township 6 North, Range 12 East, Newton County, Mississippi and contains 12.172 acres more or less.

(2) The real property described in subsection (1) shall be used by the State Veterans Affairs Board as an addition to the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery, on the grounds of which the board may construct and maintain a Mississippi Iraq Afghanistan War Memorial.

SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 35-1-43, Mississippi Code of 1972:

35-1-43. (1) The State Veterans Affairs Board may establish, operate and maintain a Mississippi Iraq Afghanistan War Memorial on the grounds of the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Newton County, Mississippi. The purpose of the memorial is to honor and commemorate the sacrifices and service of United States Armed Forces personnel from Mississippi who have served or will serve in the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflict between August 2, 1990, and the date on which the conflict is declared to be over, as established by law or presidential proclamation.

(2) The State Veterans Affairs Board is designated the agency of this state to receive any aid or funds from any source for the purpose of establishing, operating and maintaining the Iraq Afghanistan War Memorial. The board may receive gifts, contributions, bequests and individual reimbursements from any source, the receipt of which shall not exclude any other source of revenue.

(3) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Mississippi Iraq Afghanistan War Memorial Fund." All funds received by the board under subsection (2) must be deposited into the special fund and expended by the board to establish, operate and maintain the Mississippi Iraq Afghanistan War Memorial.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.