House Bill 177

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA PROMISE ZONE ACT OF 2020; TO PROVIDE CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; TO PROVIDE THE COUNTIES THAT MAKE UP THE COMPOSITION OF THE PROMISE ZONE; TO REQUIRE THE PROMISE ZONE, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TO USE A REGIONAL APPROACH TO DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE JOB GROWTH AND TO OFFER NEW INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROMISE ZONE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY A BOARD COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROMISE ZONE SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA STRATEGIC COMPACT; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA DEVELOPMENT FUND; TO PROVIDE THAT MONIES IN THE FUND SHALL BE DISBURSED TO THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA STRATEGIC COMPACT FOR USE BY THE COMPACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FUNDS TO ASSIST IN CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA PROMISE ZONE ACT OF 2020; TO AMEND SECTION 75-76-129, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DIVERSION OF A PORTION OF THE STATE GAMING REVENUES TO THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA DEVELOPMENT FUND; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 1 through 4 of this act may be cited as the "Mississippi River Delta Promise Zone Act of 2020."

SECTION 2. (1) The Legislature finds that rural development, through the creation of jobs, will enhance community development and raise educational attainment.

(2) The Legislature further finds that the state should foster open communication between government and the private sectors of our economy in the Mississippi River Delta Region, and that the state should provide a policy, a vision and a framework to encourage an environment conducive to the revitalization and growth of our state's Delta Region.

(3) The Legislature declares that the public policy of this state requires an overall, comprehensive and coordinated plan for maximum and accelerated revitalization of the Mississippi Delta Region.

SECTION 3. (1) For purposes of Sections 1 through 4 of this act, the Mississippi River Delta Promise Zone, which may be hereinafter referred to as the Promise Zone, shall be composed, in whole or in part, of the counties of Adams, Bolivar, Carroll, Claiborne, Coahoma, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tunica, Warren, Washington and Yazoo.

(2) The Promise Zone, which is a rural development initiative, shall revitalize the Mississippi Delta Region through the creating of jobs, increasing public/private investment, enhancing community development and raising educational attainment.

(3) The Promise Zone, with the assistance of the Mississippi Development Authority, shall use a regional approach to develop opportunities to increase job growth and offer new federal, state and local incentives for business development.

(4) To create a better economic climate and increase opportunities for development, the Promise Zone shall use resource generated from the region to leverage other investments.

SECTION 4. (1) The Mississippi Development Authority shall develop new strategies for the economically challenged areas in the Delta Region that will increase business activities for the Promise Zone.

(2) The Promise Zone shall be governed by a board that is composed of individuals from the following entities, but not limited to those entities:

(a) College and universities;

(b) Counties and municipalities;

(d) Banking and finance;

(e) Small business owners; and

(f) Entities that encourage innovation and achievement.

(3) The Promise Zone shall be administered by the Mississippi Delta Strategic Compact, which is a 501(c)(3) organization whose primary goal is to implement the mandate from the Legislature to begin a region-wide process to revitalize the Mississippi Delta Region, and whose further goal is to implement the 2009 action plan submitted by the Delta Revitalization Task Force, as required by the Legislature.

(4) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Mississippi Delta Development Fund." The fund shall consist of such monies deposited in the fund as provided under Section 75-76-129 and funds from any other source designated for deposit into the fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Mississippi Delta Strategic Compact for use by the compact for the purpose of providing funds to assist in carrying out the purposes of Sections 1 through 4 of this act. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

SECTION 5. Section 75-76-129, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

[Through June 30, 2028, this section shall read as follows:]

75-76-129. (1) On or before the last day of each month all taxes, fees, interest, penalties, damages, fines or other monies collected by the Department of Revenue during that month under the provisions of this chapter, with the exception of (a) the local government fees imposed under Section 75-76-195, and (b) an amount equal to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) of the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c), and (c) the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c) as a result of wagers on sporting events, and (d) an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c), shall be paid by the Department of Revenue to the State Treasurer to be deposited in the State General Fund. The local government fees shall be distributed by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 75-76-197.

(2) An amount equal to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) of the revenue collected during that month pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c) shall be deposited by the Department of Revenue into the bond sinking fund created in Section 1(3) of Chapter 479, Laws of 2015.

(3) Revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c) as a result of wagers on sporting events shall be deposited into the State Highway Fund to be used solely for the repair and maintenance of highways and bridges of the State of Mississippi. This revenue shall be used first for matching funds made available to the state for such purposes pursuant to any federal highway infrastructure program implemented after September 1, 2018.

(4) An amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c) shall be deposited by the Department of Revenue into the Mississippi Delta Development Fund created in Section 4 of this act.

[From and after July 1, 2028, this section shall read as follows:]

75-76-129. On or before the last day of each month all taxes, fees, interest, penalties, damages, fines or other monies collected by the Department of Revenue during that month under the provisions of this chapter, with the exception of (a) the local government fees imposed under Section 75-76-195, and (b) an amount equal to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) of the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c), and (c) an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c), shall be paid by the Department of Revenue to the State Treasurer to be deposited in the State General Fund. The local government fees shall be distributed by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 75-76-197. An amount equal to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) of the revenue collected during that month pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c) shall be deposited by the Department of Revenue into the bond sinking fund created in Section 1(3) of Chapter 479, Laws of 2015. An amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the revenue collected pursuant to the fee imposed under Section 75-76-177(1)(c) shall be deposited by the Department of Revenue into the Mississippi Delta Development Fund created in Section 4 of this act.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.