MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2018 Regular Session

To: Transportation

By: Representative DeLano

House Bill 986

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-21-18, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE REGARDING THE AUTOMATED STATEWIDE MOTOR VEHICLE, MANUFACTURED HOUSING AND MOBILE HOME REGISTRATION SYSTEM; TO REVISE THE PROVISIONS OF LAW REGARDING THE RULES AND REGULATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE  AS PERTAINS TO ACCESS AND USE BY COUNTY TAX COLLECTORS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 63-21-18, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     63-21-18.  The Mississippi Department of * * *Information Technology Services Revenue shall provide * * *equipment for the operation and maintenance of the automated statewide motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home registration system * * * by the State Tax Commission.

     The automated statewide motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home registration system shall * * *provide for computer terminals and printers, as authorized by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, to be located in the quantity necessary in allow access to the system from each * * *county seat tax collector's office * * * and any other office in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the motor vehicle registrations in the county are made or satellite offices.

     All county tax collectors shall participate in such system as it applies to Chapter 19, Title 27; Chapter 51, Title 27; Chapter 21, Title 63; Mississippi Code of 1972, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the * * *State Tax Commission Department of Revenue concerning the access, use and security of the automated statewide motor vehicle title registration system.  In the event of noncompliance by the county office with these rules and regulations, the Department of Revenue has the authority to discontinue the county's access to the system after a sixty-day period to correct any compliance issues.  In the event of a probable security threat, the Department of Revenue shall terminate access immediately but will only do so after communication with the county office. * * *  Such rules and regulations shall provide that counties which have an existing computer system designed to produce registration data may elect to use such existing system to communicate title/registration data to the commission through the computer furnished by the state as hereinabove provided in this section.  If the State Tax Commission finds and determines that a county has failed to successfully establish or update title/registration data into the statewide vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title/registration system, either through use of equipment supplied by the State Tax Commission or through the interfacing between the network system and county computer equipment, the State Tax Commission shall thereafter cause to be withheld the county's homestead exemption reimbursement monies, except for school districts and municipalities, until such time as the county has complied with this provision.  Such monies as are withheld from a county for failure to comply with this provision shall be placed into a special escrow account to be established in the State Treasury.  Once the county achieves compliance by successfully establishing or updating title/registration data into the statewide vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title/registration system, then the commission shall cause to be released to the county all funds held in escrow on the county's behalf during the period of noncompliance.  All interest earned shall accrue to the benefit of the county on any funds placed in an escrow account. Any cost involved in interfacing between existing county computer systems and the state-provided computer system shall be paid by the county.

 * * * The computer terminals and printers placed in each county tax collector's office may be utilized to provide additional computer functions as authorized by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services.

The State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants to the State Treasurer for the expenditures for the implementation and maintenance of the system upon requisitions signed by the Chairman of the State Tax Commission, as authorized by the Legislature.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the operation of the statewide motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title registration system shall be the responsibility of the State Tax Commission.

     The * * *State Tax Commission Department of Revenue shall provide for the transfer of motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title and lien registration information to the commission by electronic means from banks and other lending institutions as provided in Section * * *63‑21‑18 63-21-16.  * * * The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services shall cooperate with the State Tax Commission in implementing the provisions of Section 63‑21‑18, and shall provide the State Tax Commission with whatever assistance the commission needs to carry out the provisions of Section 63‑21‑18.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2018.

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