Senate Bill 2561

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 65-1-179, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CHANGE THE REQUIREMENT OF A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE MISSISSIPPI TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION REGARDING THE USE OF EMERGENCY ROAD AND BRIDGE REPAIR FUND MONIES TO A MAJORITY VOTE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 65-1-179, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

65-1-179. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund," into which shall be deposited money appropriated by the Legislature or otherwise made available in any manner, and funds from any other source designated for deposit into such fund. 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 into the fund. The expenditure of money deposited into the fund shall be under the direction of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and such funds shall be paid by the Mississippi Department of Transportation upon warrants issued by the Department of Finance and Administration.

(2) Money in the fund shall be utilized by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, with the advice of the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund Advisory Board, to provide funding for emergency repairs to roads, streets and highways in this state and emergency bridge repairs on public roads, streets and highways in this state, as determined by a * * * ~~unanimous~~ majority vote of the Mississippi Transportation Commission. However, before the expenditure of money in the fund, the department shall promulgate rules and regulations as authorized in subsection (3) of this section.

(3) (a) There is created the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund Advisory Board which shall consist of the following members:

(i) The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi Economic Council;

(ii) The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association;

(iii) The President of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation;

(iv) The President of the Mississippi Poultry Association;

(v) The President of the Mississippi Trucking Association;

(vi) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors;

(vii) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Municipal League;

(viii) The Executive Vice President of the Mississippi Cattlemen's Association;

(ix) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Loggers Association; and

(x) The Executive Director of the American Council of Engineering Companies-Mississippi.

(b) The Governor shall appoint the chairman of the board, and the board shall elect such other officers as it considers necessary from among its members.

(c) A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of meetings, and all actions of the board shall be by a majority vote. No compensation, per diem, or mileage expense shall be provided to board members.

(d) The Governor's office shall provide any necessary administrative support to the board.

(e) The board shall meet at least quarterly to conduct business.

(f) The board shall provide nonbinding advice to the Department of Transportation regarding the expenditure of money in the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund.

(4) The Mississippi Department of Transportation shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this section to maximize all potential sources of funding including state and federal, for projects covered by the program. Any available sources of funding may be combined to fund any project covered by the program. This includes state aid road funds and/or Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program funds, which may be used in conjunction with Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund monies within the discretion of the State Aid Engineer. Under no circumstances, however, shall Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund monies be used to reimburse any amount that has been expended on the project prior to the award of such monies to the recipient.

(5) When monies in the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund are distributed for projects, such monies shall not be redeposited in the State Treasury, absent extraordinary circumstances where the recipient must return monies received under the program. This requirement is not intended to inhibit state agencies from receiving Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund monies for appropriate projects or to curtail any proper transfer of monies to accomplish such a project.

(6) The department shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, necessary for the implementation of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.