MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2023 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hill

Senate Bill 2657

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-12, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE SALARIES OF ALL OFFICERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY SAFETY PATROL AND THE MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 45-1-12, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     45-1-12.  (1)  The salaries of all officers of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol who have completed the course of instruction in an authorized highway patrol training school on general law enforcement, and are serving as a sworn officer of the Highway Patrol in the enforcement of the laws of the State of Mississippi, including service in any other division of the Department of Public Safety, and the sworn law enforcement officers of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale for officers salaries as provided in this subsection:

Department of Public Safety Sworn Officers Salary Schedule

Rank                    Years of Experience

             Less than 4     Over 4       Over 8        Over 12

Trooper        * * *46,95050,950

Trooper FC                    * * *49,70053,700

Corporal                                   * * *52,45056,450

Sergeant                                            * * *55,20059,200

Rank                    Years of Experience

              Over 16        Over 20       Over 24       Over 29

Staff Sgt.      * * *57,95061,950

Sr. Staff Sgt.                * * *60,70064,700

Sgt. 1st Class                             * * *63,70067,700

                                                    * * *66,80070,800

Rank                    Years of Experience

            Over 5  Over 10  Over 15  Over 20  Over 25   Over 29

Master Sgt.                 

             * * *60,700    * * *63,450   * * *66,200    * * *68,950    * * *71,700    * * *74,450

            64,700   67,450   70,200   72,950   75,700    78,450

Lieutenant                  

             * * *69,750    * * *72,500    * * *75,250   * * *78,000   * * *80,750    * * *83,750

            73,750   76,500   79,250   82,000   84,750    87,750

Captain                           

                      * * *82,000   * * *85,000    * * *88,000    * * *91,000    * * *94,000

                     86,000   89,000   92,000   95,000    98,000

Major                                   

                              * * *94,000   * * *97,000    * * *100,000    * * *103,000

                             98,000  101,000  104,000   107,000

Lt. Colonel                             

                              * * *103,000    * * *106,000      * * *109,000      * * *112,000

                              107,000   110,000   113,000  116,000

Colonel                                 

                              * * *119,500     * * *119,500     * * *119,500     * * *119,500

                              123,500   123,500   123,500  123,500

Department of Public Safety/MS Bureau of Narcotics

Sworn Officers Salary Schedule

Rank                    Years of Experience

             Less than 4     Over 4       Over 8        Over 12

LE-Agent I     * * *46,95050,950

LE-Agent II                   * * *49,70053,700

LE-Agent III                                * * *52,45056,450

LE-Agent IV                                         * * *55,20059,200

Rank                    Years of Experience

              Over 16        Over 20       Over 24       Over 29

LE-Agent V      * * *57,95061,950

LE-Agent VI                   * * *60,70064,700

Rank                    Years of Experience

             Over 7  Over 12  Over 17  Over 22  Over 27  Over 32

Lieutenant                  

             * * *69,750    * * *72,500   * * *75,250   * * *78,000    * * *80,750    * * *83,750

            73,750   76,500   79,250   82,000   84,750    87,750

Captain                   

             * * *82,000   * * *85,000   * * *88,000    * * *91,000    * * *94,000

            86,000   89,000   92,000   95,000   98,000

Major                  

             * * *94,000   * * *97,000    * * *100,000   * * *103,000

            98,000  101,000  104,000  107,000

Lt. Colonel                    

                      * * *103,000   * * *106,000   * * *109,000    * * *112,000

                    107,000  110,000  113,000  116,000

Colonel                                 

                           * * *119,500    * * * 119,500    * * *119,500     * * *119,500

                         123,500   123,500   123,500   123,500

     (2)  All sworn officers in the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a salary in accordance with the above scale.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any rank of any sworn officer not based upon a merit-based promotion or years of experience shall be at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority as approved by the State Personnel Board.  The rank and years of experience of each sworn officer to be used in establishing the salary shall be determined by the rank and years of experience on July 1 of the current fiscal year.

     (3)  For purposes of applying the rank designation to the above scale, the following job classifications of the State Personnel Board shall be applicable for the Mississippi Highway Patrol:

Rank                              Job Classes

(a)  Trooper                 DPS-Highway Patrol Officer I

                             LE-Investigator II

(b)  Trooper First Class      DPS-Highway Patrol Officer II

                             LE-Investigator III

(c)  Corporal                DPS-Highway Patrol Officer III

                             LE-Investigator IV

(d)  Sergeant                 DPS-Highway Patrol Officer IV

                             LE-Investigator V

(e)  Staff Sergeant           DPS-Highway Patrol Officer V

(f)  Senior Staff Sergeant    DPS-Highway Patrol Officer VI

                             Tech Spec

(g)  Master Sgt/Sgt. F/C      DPS-Assistant Inspector

                            DPS-Highway Patrol Officer VII

                             DPS-Investigator I

                             DPS-Supv. Driver Serv.

(h)  Lieutenant              DPS-Air Operations Officer

                             DPS-Dir. Corr. Intelligence

                             DPS-Dist. Executive Officer

                             DPS-Regional Supv. Driver. Serv.

                             DPS-Branch Director

                             LE-Dir/Training

                             LE-Dist. Investigator

(i)  Captain                 DPS-Staff Officer (MHP)

(j)  Major                   DPS-Bureau Director II

(k)  Lt. Colonel             DPS-Deputy Administrator;

                             DPS-Chief of Staff

(l)  Colonel/Chief of Patrol  Dir-Office of MS Hwy Safety Patrol

     (4)  For purposes of applying the rank designation to the above scale, the following job classifications of the State Personnel Board shall be applicable for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics:

Rank                         Job Classes

(a)  Agents                  LE-Agent I

                            LE-Agent II

                             LE-Agent III

                            LE-Agent IV

                             LE-Agent V

                             LE-Agent VI

(b)  Lieutenant              BN-District Investigator (LT)

(c)  Captain                 BN-District Commander

(d)  Major                   BN-Bureau Director II

                             Office Director I

(e)  Lt. Colonel             BN-Deputy Administrator

(f)  Colonel                 Director, Bureau of Narcotics

     (5)  In any fiscal year after July 1, 2015, in the event the Legislature provides across-the-board salary increases to state employees whose compensation is paid from the State General Fund and subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Personnel Board shall revise the salary scale above to provide the same percentage or dollar amount increase as has been appropriated for other state employees.

     (6)  It shall be the duty of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to file with the Legislative Budget Office and the State Fiscal Officer such data and information as may be required to enable the said Legislative Budget Office and State Fiscal Officer to budget and distribute the funds necessary to compensate the sworn officers of the Department of Public Safety according to the requirements of the salary scale.  Such data and information so filed may be revised from time to time as necessitated to reflect the current number and experience of sworn officers employed by the department.

     (7)  The Commissioner of Public Safety, with approval by the State Personnel Board, is authorized to set the salaries equitably of sworn law enforcement officers assigned to the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division and Capitol Police based upon the pay scale contained in this section.

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