House Bill 1199

(COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI HURRICANE DAMAGE MITIGATION COORDINATING COUNCIL; TO PROVIDE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL; TO PROVIDE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE COUNCIL; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI BUILDING CODES COUNCIL SHALL SERVE AS AN ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE MISSISSIPPI HURRICANE DAMAGE MITIGATION COORDINATING COUNCIL; TO CREATE THE "MISSISSIPPI HURRICANE DAMAGE MITIGATION FUND" TO RECEIVE MONIES TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF ASSISTING THE MISSISSIPPI HURRICANE DAMAGE MITIGATION COORDINATING COUNCIL IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED APPROACH FOR HURRICANE DAMAGE MITIGATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Mississippi Hurricane Damage Mitigation Coordinating Council for the purpose of developing and implementing a comprehensive and coordinated approach for hurricane damage mitigation. The council shall consist of seven (7) members composed of state and national industry leaders in the area of hurricane damage mitigation.

(2) The Commissioner of Insurance shall convene the first meeting of the council within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this act and shall act as temporary chairman until the council elects from its members a chairman and vice chairman. The council shall adopt regulations consistent with this act. A meeting may be called by the chairman on his own initiative and must be called by him at the request of three (3) or more members of the council. Each member must be notified by the chairman in writing of the time and place of the meeting at least seven (7) days before the meeting. Four (4) members constitute a quorum. Each meeting is open to the public. An official decision of the council may be made only by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of those members in attendance at the meeting.

(3) The Mississippi Building Codes Council created under Section 17-2-3 shall serve as an advisory council to the council created under this section.

(4) (a) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Mississippi Hurricane Damage Mitigation Fund." The fund shall consist of monies appropriated by act of the Legislature and monies from any other public or private source designated for deposit into the fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

(b) Monies in the special fund may be used by the Department of Insurance, upon appropriation by the Legislature, only for the purposes of assisting the Mississippi Hurricane Damage Mitigation Coordinating Council in developing and implementing a comprehensive and coordinated approach for hurricane damage mitigation.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2011.