Senate Bill 2942

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN OF BELMONT, MISSISSIPPI, TO EXPAND ITS GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM INTO CERTAIN AREAS IN TISHOMINGO, ITAWAMBA AND PRENTISS COUNTIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) Notwithstanding any provisions of Section 21-27-39, Mississippi Code of 1972, to the contrary, the governing authorities of the Town of Belmont in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, in their discretion, may construct, expand, operate and maintain the town's natural gas distribution system within the following areas that are not certificated by the Public Service Commission to be served by any other natural gas utility, subject to approval of the Public Service Commission:

(a) Sections 14, 12, 12 of Township 7 South, Range 9 East; and Sections 35, 26, 23, 13, 12, 1 of Township 6 South, Range 9 East; and Sections 6, 1 of Township 6 South, Range 10 East; and Sections 31, 32, 33, 28, 29, 30, 19, 20, 21, 22 of Township 5 South, Range 11 East; and Sections 36, 25, 24 of Township 5 South, Range 10 East in Tishomingo County, Mississippi.

(b) Sections 30, 31 of Township 7 South, Range 11 East; and Sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36 of Township 7 South, Range 10 East; and Section 6 of Township 8 South, Range 11 East; and Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of Township 8 South, Range 10 East; and Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of Township 8 South, Range 9 East; and Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 of Township 7 South, Range 9 East; and Sections 24, 25, 36 of Township 7 South, Range 8 East; and Section 1 of Township 8 South, Range 8 East in Itawamba County, Mississippi;

(2) Whenever the gas utility service is furnished to any consumer residing outside the corporate limits of the town in the area described in subsection (1) of this section, the consumer may not be charged at a rate greater than twice the rate charged for the same service within the corporate limits of the town.

(3) The authority conferred by this act shall not be construed as an exemption from the provisions of Section 77-3-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, as to the requirements for obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission to regulate rates or any other provision of that law.

SECTION 2. This act shall take affect and be in force from and after its passage.