House Bill 152

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS TO PUBLISH NOTICE OF PROPOSED REGULATORY CHANGES AFFECTING HUNTING, FISHING AND WILDLIFE GAMING IN A NEWSPAPER HAVING GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE AFFECTED COUNTY OR STATE; TO SPECIFY THE FREQUENCY AND FORMAT OF THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH NOTICE; TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO REQUEST A PUBLIC MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMISSION WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS AFTER THE THIRD WEEKLY PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE; TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PERIOD TO RESIDENTS OF AFFECTED COUNTIES TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE COMMISSION EXPRESSING APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED CHANGE, ITS NECESSITY AND IMPACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) Upon the decision of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to impose new regulations or revise existing hunting, fishing and wild game regulations in any county or within the state in its entirety, the commission shall provide public notice at least once a week for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper published within the affected county of the proposed regulatory change, or if no newspaper is published in that county, then in a newspaper having a general circulation in the county. Public notice in the instance of a statewide regulation must be published at least once a week for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having mass statewide circulation. The size of the notice must be no smaller than one-fourth (1/4) of a standard newspaper page and must be printed in bold print. The notice must begin as follows: "By authority of Section 49-4-4, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended, adopted by the Mississippi Legislature during the 1989 Regular Session, the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, in the performance of its powers and duties, has proposed a new regulation and/or change in regulations relating to wildlife gaming activities in [________________ County(ies)/State of Mississippi] as follows: [provide language of regulation change.]" The notice also may include, in the discretion of the commission, any or all details relating to the purpose of the regulation and the duration of the proposed change's effect. Public notices issued under this section are subject to Section 13-3-31 and are not contrary to other laws regarding newspaper publication.

(2) (a) In addition to the notice required under subsection (1) of this section, any county affected by a proposed regulatory change of the commission must be given reasonable opportunity to conduct a community-wide meeting at the request of the county board of supervisors with representatives of the commission to discuss the necessity of and the impact of the regulation within that county. The meeting must be requested no later than fifteen (15) days after the third weekly publication of the notice of the proposed change required under subsection (1). If no meeting is requested within the first fifteen (15) days after the third weekly publication, residents of the county must be afforded fifteen (15) additional days to provide comments to the commission expressing the approval or disapproval of the proposed regulatory change.

(b) If multiple counties are affected by the commission's proposed regulatory change, the boards of supervisors of those affected counties shall coordinate a joint meeting of the counties with representatives of the commission for the purposes specified in paragraph (a). The times stipulated in paragraph (a) for the requesting of meetings and public commentary are applicable to multiple counties acting jointly under this paragraph.

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