House Bill 1539

AN ACT TO CREATE A COMMISSION TO SELECT THE DESIGN FOR A NEW MISSISSIPPI FLAG; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP AND THE MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION; TO AUTHORIZE EACH PUBLIC UNIVERSITY AND EACH PUBLIC COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE TO SUBMIT ONE DESIGN FOR A NEW MISSISSIPPI FLAG TO THE COMMISSION FOR ITS CONSIDERATION; TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMISSION SHALL SELECT FROM AMONG THE SUBMITTED DESIGNS THE ONE THAT BEST REFLECTS BOTH THE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE POPULATION OF THE STATE; TO AMEND SECTION 3-3-16, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT FROM AND AFTER JANUARY 1, 2017, THE OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI SHALL HAVE THE DESIGN THAT WAS SELECTED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is established a commission to select the design for a new Mississippi flag that will reflect both the history of the State of Mississippi and the diversity of the population of the state.

(2) The commission shall consist of the following thirteen (13) members:

(a) Five (5) members appointed by the Governor, with one (1) member to be appointed from each congressional district as constituted on January 1, 2016, and one (1) member to be appointed from the state at large;

(b) The President Pro Tempore of the Mississippi Senate;

(d) Three (3) members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Mississippi as follows:

(i) A member of the Mississippi Senate; and

(ii) Two (2) members of the general public; and

(e) Three (3) members appointed by the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives as follows:

(i) One (1) member of the Mississippi House of Representatives; and

(ii) Two (2) members of the general public.

(3) The appointments shall be made not later than forty-five (45) days after the effective date of this act. Within fifteen (15) days thereafter, on a day to be designated jointly by the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House, the commission shall meet and organize by selecting from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman. The vice chairman also shall serve as secretary and shall be responsible for keeping all records of the commission. The commission shall meet no more than once per month. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at all meetings. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the adoption of any actions taken by the commission. All members shall be notified in writing of all regular and special meetings of the commission, which notices shall be mailed at least ten (10) days before the dates of the meetings. All meetings shall take place at the State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi.

(4) Members of the commission shall not receive compensation. However, each member may be paid travel expenses and meals and lodging expenses as provided in Section 25-3-41, for such expenses incurred in furtherance of their duties. Travel expenses and meals and lodging expenses and other necessary expenses incurred by the commission shall be paid out of funds appropriated to the Governor's Office.

(5) In carrying out the provisions of this act, the commission may use the services, facilities and personnel of all departments, agencies, offices and institutions of the state.

(6) Each public university and each public community or junior college in the state may submit one (1) design for a new Mississippi flag, which design has been selected in accordance with the process determined by each respective university or community or junior college, to the commission for its consideration. All designs that will be considered by the commission must be submitted to the commission not later than October 15, 2016.

(7) After carefully reviewing all of the designs that were submitted under subsection (5) of this section, the commission shall select from among the submitted designs the one (1) that, in its judgment, best reflects both the history of the State of Mississippi and the diversity of the population of the state. The commission shall file its selection of the design of the new Mississippi flag with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House not later than January 1, 2017. The commission shall be dissolved once its selection of the design has been filed.

SECTION 2. Section 3-3-16, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

3-3-16. From and after January 1, 2017, the official flag of the State of Mississippi shall have the * * *~~following~~ design * * * that was selected by the commission established under Section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.