House Bill 686

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE FROM ENACTING RESTRICTIONS ON THE POSSESSION, USE AND MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) "Knife" means a cutting instrument and includes a sharpened or pointed blade.

(b) "Political subdivision" means any county, municipality, town, district, instrumentality of the state, public corporation, body corporate, commission, board, agency, authority, public body, politic or other public entity responsible for governmental activities in a geographic area smaller than that of the state.

(2) A political subdivision of this state may not enact any ordinance, rule, regulation, policy or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, gift, devise, licensing, registration or use of a knife or knife making components in this state.

(3) A political subdivision of this state may not enact any ordinance, rule, regulation, policy or other local form of legislation relating to the manufacture of a knife which is more restrictive than any ordinance, rule, regulation, policy or other local form of legislation relating to the manufacture of any other commercial goods.

(4) The regulation of the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, gift, devise, licensing, registration or use of a knife or knife making components in this state is reserved to the Legislature and may be regulated only by legislation of statewide application.

(5) A political subdivision's ordinance, rule, regulation, policy or other local form of legislation that relates to knives, whether enacted before or after July 1, 2014, shall be deemed repealed and is null and void.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.