House Bill 275

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT FROM SERVING ON ANY TEMPORARY MUNICIPAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, MUNICIPAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, TEMPORARY COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OR STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, ANY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIMINAL VIOLATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI ELECTION CODE, WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF AN ELECTION CRIME CONTAINED IN CHAPTER 13, TITLE 97, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHO HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM OFFICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 25-5-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, OR WHO HAS RESIGNED FROM OFFICE AS A PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-315, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE PROVISIONS THAT REQUIRE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO PUBLISH NOTICE OF HIS CALL FOR A MEETING OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) No person shall serve on any temporary municipal executive committee, municipal executive committee, temporary county executive committee, county executive committee or state executive committee if the person has been convicted of a criminal violation of the Mississippi Election Code, has been convicted of an election crime contained in Chapter 13, Title 97, Mississippi Code of 1972, has been removed from public office pursuant to Section 25-5-1, or who has resigned from office as part of a plea agreement.

(2) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished as provided in Section 99-19-31 and removed from the committee.

SECTION 2. Section 23-15-315, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

23-15-315. The county executive committee chairman shall publish a copy of his call for a meeting in some newspaper published at least once per week in the municipality affected for three (3) weeks preceding the date set for the mass convention, or if there be no newspaper published in the municipality, then in some newspaper having general circulation in the municipality and by posting notices continuously in three (3) public places in the municipality, one (1) of which shall be city hall or be the regular location where the municipal governing authority meets to conduct business not less than three (3) weeks before the date for the mass convention.

SECTION 3. The Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.