Senate Bill 2846

AN ACT TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM PAYMENT TO DEFRAY THE COST OF PUBLIC AMBULANCE SERVICE BY COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES UNLESS SUPERSEDED BY AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 41-55-1, 41-55-2 AND 41-55-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Each municipality and county shall be required to share in the cost of public ambulance service at a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the costs expended during the previous fiscal year, unless a different local cost-share agreement has been specified in an interlocal agreement approved by the Office of the Attorney General.

SECTION 2. Section 41-55-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-55-1. The board of supervisors of any county and the governing authorities of any city, town, or any political subdivision thereof, either separately or acting in conjunction, in their discretion and upon finding that adequate public ambulance service would not otherwise be available, may own, maintain, and operate a public ambulance service as a governmental function, fix and collect charges therefor, and adopt, promulgate and enforce reasonable rules and regulations for the operation of said service. Any political subdivision, or parts thereof, acting hereunder may contract and otherwise cooperate with any department or agency of the United States Government or the State of Mississippi, or any county, city, town, or supervisors district of the same, or other counties of the State of Mississippi in carrying out any of the powers herein conferred or otherwise effectuating the purposes of Sections 41-55-1 through 41-55-11 and in so doing accept gifts, money, and other property of whatever kind. The requirements of this act shall be applicable to the provisions of this section.

SECTION 3. Section 41-55-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-55-2. The board of supervisors of counties having a population of not more than twenty-two thousand (22,000) nor less than fifteen thousand (15,000) as shown by the 1970 federal census and having an assessed valuation in excess of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) in 1970 and being traversed by Interstate Highway No. 55, may, in the discretion of the board, set aside, appropriate and expend monies from the general fund to be used solely for defraying the cost of providing public ambulance service as authorized by Sections 41-55-1 through 41-55-11, subject to the provisions and minimum contribution requirements of this act.

SECTION 4. Section 41-55-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-55-3. In acting jointly the board of supervisors of any such county acting for the county or supervisors district of the county, and the governing authorities of any city or town, acting for the city or town, are hereby authorized and empowered to contract with each other, for and on behalf of the political subdivisions or parts thereof which each represents, with respect to any and all things related to the matters and things authorized in Sections 41-55-1 through 41-55-11, and particularly to apportion and prorate the ownership of the property acquired or to be acquired in such a joint undertaking, and to determine the proportionate part of the cost of maintenance, support and operation to be assumed by each, subject to the provisions and minimum contribution requirements of this act.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.