House Bill 1477

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING GRANTS TO MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES TO ASSIST IN PAYING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH REPAIR AND RENOVATION OF AND UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO VETERANS PARKS OPERATED AND/OR MAINTAINED BY MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES; TO CREATE THE "MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES VETERANS PARKS FUND" AS A SPECIAL FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) (a) The Department of Finance and Administration shall establish a grant program for the purpose of providing grants to municipalities and counties to assist in paying costs associated with repair and renovation of and upgrades and improvements to veterans parks operated and/or maintained by municipalities and counties.

(b) A municipality or county, as the case may be, desiring assistance under the grant program must submit an application to the Department of Finance and Administration. The application must contain a description of the purposes for which the assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information requested by the department. A municipality or county also must provide proof that funds from the municipality or county, private sources and/or other sources have been irrevocably dedicated in an amount of not less than the amount of assistance requested for the purposes described in the application.

(2) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the "Municipalities and Counties Veterans Parks Fund", which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. 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 such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, upon appropriation by the Legislature, in the discretion of the Department of Finance and Administration, to provide grants for the purposes described in this section.

(3) The Department of Finance and Administration shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this section, and 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, 2024.