House Bill 837

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 21-21-3 AND 45-5-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE 25 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 21-21-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

21-21-3. The governing authorities of municipalities shall have the power and authority to employ, regulate and support a sufficient police force or night marshals, to define the duties thereof, and to furnish and supply all suitable and necessary equipment therefor. However, all law enforcement officers must be twenty-five (25) years of age or older except for those persons who are members of the Armed Forces of the United States, a reserve component of the Armed Forces or of the National Guard.

SECTION 2. Section 45-5-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

45-5-9. The sheriff of each county, and the mayor of each municipality, is hereby authorized and empowered to appoint as many extra deputy sheriffs and as many extra deputy police officers, as the case may be, as he deems necessary for the purposes herein. All law enforcement officers appointed under this section must be twenty-five (25) years of age or older except for those persons who are members of the Armed Forces of the United States, a reserve component of the Armed Forces or of the National Guard. Each applicant to the academy herein created shall be subject to approval by the Commissioner of Public Safety who shall be the sole judge of the qualifications of such applicant, and when deemed necessary for the purposes herein, the sheriff and mayor, as the case may be, shall have the power and authority to order said deputies to perform any of the duties required under this chapter, and all such deputies ordered to do so shall have the full power and authority so to do as is vested in other police or peace officers of this state. Such deputies shall be paid for services rendered such compensation and may be furnished such uniforms and equipment as may be agreed upon by the sheriff with approval of the board of supervisors, and by the mayor, with the approval of the governing authorities of such municipality, same to be paid from any available county funds, and/or any available municipal funds, as the case may be. Each such deputy shall give bond, with sufficient surety, to be payable, conditioned and approved as provided by law, in a penalty not less than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00). The premiums for such bonds shall be paid from any available county funds or any available municipal funds, as the case may be.

SECTION 3. All law enforcement officer applications must require the applicant to list all aliases or affirm the applicant is known by no other names.

SECTION 4. All law enforcement officers must submit to a background check by the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

SECTION 5. All law enforcement officers must submit to a background check by the National Crime Information Center.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2012.