Senate Bill 2553

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A MISSISSIPPI VETERANS' HONOR MEDAL PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI SHALL MANAGE THE PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE FOR AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO ASSIST THE ADJUTANT GENERAL; TO PROVIDE FOR ELIGIBILITY OF AWARDS; TO AMEND SECTION 33-3-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Adjutant General is hereby authorized and empowered to establish and manage a Veterans' Honor Medal Program in order to recognize and honor all Mississippi Veterans. The Adjutant General shall design or cause to be designed a medal. A gold star shall be affixed and awarded to the next of kin of Armed Forces personnel killed in action. A silver star shall be affixed and awarded to Armed Forces personnel wounded in action.

(2) The Adjutant General shall have the authority to form an advisory committee of interested persons, including, but not limited to, the Governor, or his designee; the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, or his designee; the Lieutenant Governor, or his designee; the Director of the Mississippi Department of Military Affairs; the Director of each state veterans home, or his designee; and various veterans organizations. This committee shall assist the Adjutant General in the design of the medals provided for in subsection (1) of this section and accompanying certificates.

(3) The Adjutant General shall determine eligibility for award of an Honor Medal provided for in this section based upon military records such as DD-214 discharge paper or a DD-201 service record.

SECTION 2. Section 33-3-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

33-3-17. (1) The Governor is hereby authorized and empowered to decorate members and former members of the Mississippi National Guard and members and former members of the national guard of the several states and members and former members of the Armed Forces of the United States, who he may deem worthy of such decoration, with such awards, medals or decorations as he may prescribe by rules and regulations promulgated by him, and the Governor is hereby authorized to promulgate suitable and reasonable rules and regulations for such purposes.

(2) The Governor shall award posthumously the Mississippi Medal of Valor to those members of the Mississippi National Guard who gave their lives while in active service of the United States as defined in Section 33-1-1(l).

(3) The Governor may award retroactively the Mississippi Medal of Valor to a member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States if such member has been awarded the Medal of Honor or the Purple Heart.

(4) The design of the Mississippi Medal of Valor is as follows: A gold medal with the Great Seal of the State of Mississippi superimposed on a cross combined with crossed sabers with the words "MEDAL OF VALOR" inscribed around the seal. The medal is suspended from a ribbon of navy blue background, with two (2) wide, vertical white bands. The recipient's name and rank are engraved in the reverse side of the medal. The ribbon carries the same colors as described for the medal.

(5) The Adjutant General is authorized and empowered to establish a Veterans' Honor Medal Program to formally recognize and honor all Mississippi veterans as provided in Section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2012.