House Bill 1359

AN ACT TO CREATE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF RECYCLING STUDY COMMITTEE; TO PRESCRIBE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE AND TO PROVIDE FOR ITS ORGANIZATION AND MEETINGS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMITTEE SHALL IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PROVIDING RECYCLING SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, AND REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE SUCH FINDINGS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby created the Economic Impact of Recycling Study Committee to identify and examine the potential economic impact of providing recycling services for communities throughout the State of Mississippi.

The committee shall, at a minimum, study and report to the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature the following:

(a) The total amount of federal revenue received by the State of Mississippi and the total amount of state funds that can allowably fund recycling services;

(b) A cost—benefit analysis examining the impact of providing recycling services through reprioritizing current expenditures of certain federal and state funds;

(c) The total annual funding required to serve certain areas in the State of Mississippi that may benefit from recycling services;

(d) The economic impact of increasing the labor force

participation rate by increasing access to recycling services, and the economic impact of increased spending in the state based upon increasing such labor force;

(e) Examples in Mississippi and/or in other states of certain recycling services that are provided;

(f) Benefits to employers of employee access to recycling services for more Mississippi workers; and

(g) Recommendations for increasing the amount of federal revenue and state funds spent on recycling services for the State of Mississippi.

(2) The Study Committee shall be composed of the following five (5) members:

(a) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality or his or her designee;

(b) A policy advisor from the Governor's office or his or her designee;

(d) The Chairman of the Senate Environmental Protection, Conservation and Water Resources Committee; and

(e) A designee of a nonprofit organization in Mississippi that provides recycling services to various communities in the state.

(3) Appointments to the committee shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. The committee shall hold its first meeting before September 1, 2022. The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality or his or her designee shall serve as chairman of the study committee.

(4) A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. In the adoption of the rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the members shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, such notices shall be mailed at least five (5) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(5) Members of the committee shall receive no compensation for their service on the committee, but may receive reimbursement for mileage and actual expenses as provided in Section 25–3–41, to the extent that funds are available for that purpose.

(6) To effectuate the purposes of this section, any department, division, board, bureau, committee or agency of the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall, at the request of any member of the committee, provide such facilities, assistance, information and data as will enable the committee to properly carry out its duties.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.