House Bill 1243

AN ACT TO CREATE THE INTRASTATE COMMERCE IMPROVEMENT ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE ACT IS TO IMPROVE INTRASTATE COMMERCE BY ENSURING BUSINESS THAT IS CONDUCTED IN THIS STATE IS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN UNIFORM NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS AND OBLIGATIONS; TO PROHIBIT THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY ORDINANCE, RESOLUTION, RULE, OR THAT CREATES A PROTECTED CLASSIFICATION THAT IS NOT CONTAINED IN STATE LAW; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act."

Section 2. The purpose of the Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act is to improve intrastate commerce by ensuring that businesses, organizations, and employers doing business in Mississippi are subject to uniform nondiscrimination laws and obligations, irrespective of the counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions in which they are located or engage in business or commercial activity. Such uniform laws will benefit the businesses, organizations, and employers seeking to do business in our state and will attract new ones to our state.

SECTION 3. (1) No county, municipality, or other political subdivision may adopt or enforce a local law, ordinance, resolution, rule, or policy that creates a protected classification or prohibits discrimination on a basis not contained in state law.

(2) This section shall not apply to a rule or policy that pertains only to the employees of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision.

(3) Any local law, ordinance, resolution, rule, or policy adopted before the effective date of this act that violates subsection (1) of this section, except those provided for by subsection (2) of this section, shall be null and void.

SECTION 4. If any subsection or portion of this act is declared invalid, that declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.