MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Judiciary B
By: Representatives Oliver, Aguirre, Bounds, Boyd (19th), Burch, Crawford, Deweese, Estrada, Evans, Fondren, Ford (73rd), Guice, Hobgood-Wilkes, Hurst, Kinkade, Lamar, Lott, Massengill, McKnight, Morgan, Newman, Roberson, Sanford, Shanks, Stepp, Steverson, Thompson, Tubb, Tullos, Yancey
AN ACT ENTITLED THE "SECOND AMENDMENT PRESERVATION ACT"; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE PREEMPTS THE LAW OF FIREARMS, COMPONENTS, AMMUNITION AND FIREARM SUPPLIES TO THE COMPLETE EXCLUSION OF ANY ORDER, ORDINANCE OR REGULATION BY ANY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OR MUNICIPALITY OF THIS STATE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE FIREARMS CODE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI IS INTERPOSED IN PLACE OF ANY FEDERAL LAW CONFISCATING FIREARMS OF LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 45-9-51, 45-9-53 AND 45-9-101, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDE CONDITIONS ON CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPONS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 97-37-7 AND 97-37-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDE CONDITIONS AND PENALTIES FOR CARRYING CONCEALED FIREARMS AND DEADLY WEAPONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Second Amendment Preservation Act."
SECTION 2. (1) The Mississippi Legislature hereby occupies and preempts the entire field of legislation touching in any way firearms, components, ammunition and supplies to the complete exclusion of any order, ordinance or regulation by any political subdivision of this state. Any existing or future orders, ordinances or regulations in this field are hereby and shall be null and void except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.
(2) No county, city, town, village, municipality, bureau, other legal entity or other political subdivision of this state shall adopt any order, ordinance, rule, policy or regulation that attempts to ban, delay, deny or impose additional entry requirements for concealed firearms or otherwise impede or "shadow" a license holder with a concealed firearm or concerning in any way the sale, purchase, purchase delay, transfer, ownership, use, keeping, possession, bearing, transportation, licensing, permit, registration, taxation other than sales and compensating use taxes or other controls on firearms, components, ammunition, and supplies except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.
(3) Except as provided in this subsection, nothing contained in this section shall prohibit any ordinance of any political subdivision which conforms exactly with any of the provisions of Sections 45-9-51, 45-9-53, 45-9-101, 97-37-7 and 97-37-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, with appropriate penalty provisions, or which regulates the open carrying of firearms readily capable of lethal use or the discharge of firearms within a jurisdiction.
(4) The lawful design, marketing, manufacture, distribution, or sale of firearms or ammunition to the public is not an abnormally dangerous activity and does not constitute a public or private nuisance.
(5) No county, city, town, village or any other political subdivision nor the state shall bring suit or have any right to recover against any firearms or ammunition manufacturer, trade association or dealer for damages, abatement or injunctive relief resulting from or relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing, distribution, or sale of firearms or ammunition to the public. Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall restrict the rights of individual citizens to recover for injury or death caused by the negligent or defective design or manufacture of firearms or ammunition.
(6) Nothing in this section shall prevent the state, a county, city, town, village or any other political subdivision from bringing an action against a firearms or ammunition manufacturer or dealer for breach of contract or warranty as to firearms or ammunition purchased by the state or such political subdivision.
SECTION 3. (1) All federal acts, laws, orders, rules and regulations, whether past, present or future, which infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 12 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 shall be invalid in this state, shall not be recognized by this state, shall be specifically rejected by this state and have no effect in this state.
(2) Such federal acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations which include any act ordering the confiscation of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition from law-abiding citizens.
(3) It shall be the duty of the courts and law enforcement agencies of this state to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms within the borders of this state and from the infringements in subsection (2) of this section.
(4) No public officer or employee of this state shall have any authority to enforce or attempt to enforce any of the infringements on the right to keep and bear arms included in subsection (2) of this section.
(5) Any official, agent, or employee of the United States government who enforces or attempts to enforce any of the infringements on the right to keep and bear arms included in subsection (2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(6) Any Mississippi citizen who has been subject to an effort to enforce any of the infringements on the right to keep and bear arms included in subsection (2) of this section shall have a private cause of action for declaratory judgment and for damages against any person or entity attempting such enforcement.
SECTION 4. Section 45-9-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
45-9-51. (1) Subject to the provisions of Section 45-9-53, no county or municipality may adopt any ordinance that restricts the possession, carrying, transportation, sale, transfer or ownership of firearms or ammunition or their components.
(2) No public housing authority operating in this state may adopt any rule or regulation restricting a lessee or tenant of a dwelling owned and operated by such public housing authority from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition or their components within individual dwelling units or the transportation of such firearms or ammunition or their components to and from such dwelling.
SECTION 5. Section 45-9-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
45-9-53. (1) This section and Section 45-9-51 do not affect the authority that a county or municipality may have under another law:
(a) To require citizens or public employees to be armed for personal or national defense, law enforcement, or another lawful purpose;
(b) To regulate the discharge of firearms within the limits of the county or municipality. A county or municipality may not apply a regulation relating to the discharge of firearms or other weapons in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the county or municipality or in an area annexed by the county or municipality after September 1, 1981, if the firearm or other weapon is:
(i) A shotgun, air rifle or air pistol, BB gun or bow and arrow discharged:
1. On a tract of land of ten (10) acres or more and more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property; and
2. In a manner not reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract; or
(ii) A center fire or rimfire rifle or pistol or a muzzle-loading rifle or pistol of any caliber discharged:
1. On a tract of land of fifty (50) acres or more and more than three hundred (300) feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property; and
2. In a manner not reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract;
(c) To regulate the use of property or location of businesses for uses therein pursuant to fire code, zoning ordinances, or land-use regulations, so long as such codes, ordinances and regulations are not used to circumvent the intent of Section 45-9-51 or paragraph (e) of this subsection;
(d) To regulate the use of firearms in cases of insurrection, riots and natural disasters in which the city finds such regulation necessary to protect the health and safety of the public. However, the provisions of this section shall not apply to the lawful possession of firearms, ammunition or components of firearms or ammunition;
(e) To regulate the storage or transportation of explosives in order to protect the health and safety of the public, with the exception of black powder which is exempt up to twenty-five (25) pounds per private residence and fifty (50) pounds per retail dealer;
(f) To regulate the carrying of a firearm at: (i) a public park or at a public meeting of a county, municipality or other governmental body; (ii) a political rally, parade or official political meeting; or (iii) a nonfirearm-related school, college or professional athletic event; or
(g) To regulate the receipt of firearms by pawnshops.
(2) The exception provided by subsection (1)(f) of this section does not apply if the firearm was in or carried to and from an area designated for use in a lawful hunting, fishing or other sporting event and the firearm is of the type commonly used in the activity.
(3) This section and Section 45-9-51 do not authorize a county or municipality or their officers or employees to act in contravention of Section 33-7-303.
(4) No county or a municipality may use the written notice provisions of Section 45-9-101(13) to prohibit concealed firearms on property under their control except:
(a) At a location listed in Section 45-9-101(13) indicating that a license issued under Section 45-9-101 does not authorize the holder to carry a firearm into that location, as long as the sign also indicates that carrying a firearm is unauthorized only for license holders without a training endorsement or that it is a location included in Section 97-37-7(2) where carrying a firearm is unauthorized for all license holders; and
(b) At any location under the control of the county or municipality aside from a location listed in subsection (1)(f) of this section or Section 45-9-101(13) indicating that the possession of a firearm is prohibited on the premises, as long as the sign also indicates that it does not apply to a person properly licensed under Section 45-9-101 or Section 97-37-7(2) to carry a concealed firearm or to a person lawfully carrying a firearm that is not concealed.
(5)
(a) A citizen of this state, or a person licensed to carry a concealed pistol or revolver under Section 45-9-101,
or a person licensed to carry a concealed pistol or revolver with the endorsement
under Section 97-37-7, who is adversely affected by an ordinance or posted
written notice adopted by a county or municipality in violation of this section
may file suit for declarative and injunctive relief against a county or
municipality in the circuit court which shall have jurisdiction over the county
or municipality where the violation of this section occurs.
(b) Before instituting suit under this subsection, the party adversely impacted by the ordinance or posted written notice shall notify the Attorney General in writing of the violation and include evidence of the violation. The Attorney General shall, within thirty (30) days, investigate whether the county or municipality adopted an ordinance or posted written notice in violation of this section and provide the chief administrative officer of the county or municipality notice of his findings, including, if applicable, a description of the violation and specific language of the ordinance or posted written notice found to be in violation. The county or municipality shall have thirty (30) days from receipt of that notice to cure the violation. If the county or municipality fails to cure the violation within that thirty-day time period, a suit under paragraph (a) of this subsection may proceed. The findings of the Attorney General shall constitute a "Public Record" as defined by the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, Section 25-61-1 et seq.
(c) If the circuit court finds that a county or municipality adopted an ordinance or posted written notice in violation of this section and failed to cure that violation in accordance with paragraph (b) of this subsection, the circuit court shall issue a permanent injunction against a county or municipality prohibiting it from enforcing the ordinance or posted written notice. Any elected county or municipal official under whose jurisdiction the violation occurred may be civilly liable in a sum not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), plus all reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred by the party bringing the suit. Public funds may not be used to defend or reimburse officials who are found by the court to have violated this section.
(d) It shall be an affirmative defense to any claim brought against an elected county or municipal official under this subsection (5) that the elected official:
(i) Did not vote in the affirmative for the adopted ordinance or posted written notice deemed by the court to be in violation of this section;
(ii) Did attempt to take recorded action to cure the violation as noticed by the Attorney General in paragraph (b) of this subsection; or
(iii) Did attempt to take recorded action to rescind the ordinance or remove the posted written notice deemed by the court to be in violation of this section.
(6) No county or municipality or their officers or employees may participate in any program in which individuals are given a thing of value provided by another individual or other entity in exchange for surrendering a firearm to the county, municipality or other governmental body unless:
(a) The county or municipality has adopted an ordinance authorizing the participation of the county or municipality, or participation by an officer or employee of the county or municipality in such a program; and
(b) Any ordinance enacted pursuant to this section must require that any firearm received shall be offered for sale at auction as provided by Sections 19-3-85 and 21-39-21 to federally licensed firearms dealers, with the proceeds from such sale at auction reverting to the general operating fund of the county, municipality or other governmental body. Any firearm remaining in possession of the county, municipality or other governmental body after attempts to sell at auction may be disposed of in a manner that the body deems appropriate.
SECTION 6. Section 45-9-101, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
45-9-101. (1) (a) Except as otherwise provided, the Department of Public Safety is authorized to issue licenses to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers to persons qualified as provided in this section. Such licenses shall be valid throughout the state for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance, except as provided in subsection (25) of this section. Any person possessing a valid license issued pursuant to this section may carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or concealed revolver.
(b) The licensee must carry the license, together with valid identification, at all times in which the licensee is carrying a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver and must display both the license and proper identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer. A violation of the provisions of this paragraph (b) shall constitute a noncriminal violation with a penalty of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) and shall be enforceable by summons.
(2) The Department of Public Safety shall issue a license if the applicant:
(a) Is a resident of the state. However, this residency requirement may be waived if the applicant possesses a valid permit from another state, is a member of any active or reserve component branch of the United States of America Armed Forces stationed in Mississippi, is the spouse of a member of any active or reserve component branch of the United States of America Armed Forces stationed in Mississippi, or is a retired law enforcement officer establishing residency in the state;
(b) (i) Is twenty-one (21) years of age or older; or
(ii) Is at least eighteen (18) years of age but not yet twenty-one (21) years of age and the applicant:
1. Is a member or veteran of the United States Armed Forces, including National Guard or Reserve; and
2. Holds a valid Mississippi driver's license or identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety or a valid and current tribal identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe containing a photograph of the holder;
(c) Does not suffer from a physical infirmity which prevents the safe handling of a stun gun, pistol or revolver;
(d) Is not ineligible to possess a firearm by virtue of having been convicted of a felony in a court of this state, of any other state, or of the United States without having been pardoned or without having been expunged for same;
(e) Does not chronically or habitually abuse controlled substances to the extent that his normal faculties are impaired. It shall be presumed that an applicant chronically and habitually uses controlled substances to the extent that his faculties are impaired if the applicant has been voluntarily or involuntarily committed to a treatment facility for the abuse of a controlled substance or been found guilty of a crime under the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Substances Law or similar laws of any other state or the United States relating to controlled substances within a three-year period immediately preceding the date on which the application is submitted;
(f) Does not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties are impaired. It shall be presumed that an applicant chronically and habitually uses alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties are impaired if the applicant has been voluntarily or involuntarily committed as an alcoholic to a treatment facility or has been convicted of two (2) or more offenses related to the use of alcohol under the laws of this state or similar laws of any other state or the United States within the three-year period immediately preceding the date on which the application is submitted;
(g) Desires a legal means to carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver to defend himself;
(h) Has not been adjudicated mentally incompetent, or has waited five (5) years from the date of his restoration to capacity by court order;
(i) Has not been voluntarily or involuntarily committed to a mental institution or mental health treatment facility unless he possesses a certificate from a psychiatrist licensed in this state that he has not suffered from disability for a period of five (5) years;
(j) Has not had adjudication of guilt withheld or imposition of sentence suspended on any felony unless three (3) years have elapsed since probation or any other conditions set by the court have been fulfilled;
(k) Is not a fugitive from justice; and
(l) Is not disqualified to possess a weapon based on federal law.
(3) The Department of Public Safety may deny a license if the applicant has been found guilty of one or more crimes of violence constituting a misdemeanor unless three (3) years have elapsed since probation or any other conditions set by the court have been fulfilled or expunction has occurred prior to the date on which the application is submitted, or may revoke a license if the licensee has been found guilty of one or more crimes of violence within the preceding three (3) years. The department shall, upon notification by a law enforcement agency or a court and subsequent written verification, suspend a license or the processing of an application for a license if the licensee or applicant is arrested or formally charged with a crime which would disqualify such person from having a license under this section, until final disposition of the case. The provisions of subsection (7) of this section shall apply to any suspension or revocation of a license pursuant to the provisions of this section.
(4) The application shall be completed, under oath, on a form promulgated by the Department of Public Safety and shall include only:
(a) The name, address, place and date of birth, race, sex and occupation of the applicant;
(b) The driver's license number or social security number of applicant;
(c) Any previous address of the applicant for the two (2) years preceding the date of the application;
(d) A statement that the applicant is in compliance with criteria contained within subsections (2) and (3) of this section;
(e) A statement that the applicant has been furnished a copy of this section and is knowledgeable of its provisions;
(f) A conspicuous warning that the application is executed under oath and that a knowingly false answer to any question, or the knowing submission of any false document by the applicant, subjects the applicant to criminal prosecution; and
(g) A statement that the applicant desires a legal means to carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver to defend himself.
(5) The applicant shall submit only the following to the Department of Public Safety:
(a) A completed application as described in subsection (4) of this section;
(b) A full-face photograph of the applicant taken within the preceding thirty (30) days in which the head, including hair, in a size as determined by the Department of Public Safety, except that an applicant who is younger than twenty-one (21) years of age must submit a photograph in profile of the applicant;
(c) A nonrefundable license fee of Eighty Dollars ($80.00). Costs for processing the set of fingerprints as required in paragraph (d) of this subsection shall be borne by the applicant. Honorably retired law enforcement officers, disabled veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States, and law enforcement officers employed with a law enforcement agency of a municipality, county or state at the time of application for the license, shall be exempt from the payment of the license fee;
(d) A full set of fingerprints of the applicant administered by the Department of Public Safety; and
(e) A waiver authorizing the Department of Public Safety access to any records concerning commitments of the applicant to any of the treatment facilities or institutions referred to in subsection (2) of this section and permitting access to all the applicant's criminal records.
(6) (a) The Department of Public Safety, upon receipt of the items listed in subsection (5) of this section, shall forward the full set of fingerprints of the applicant to the appropriate agencies for state and federal processing.
(b) The Department of Public Safety shall forward a copy of the applicant's application to the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence and, if applicable, the police chief of the applicant's municipality of residence. The sheriff of the applicant's county of residence, and, if applicable, the police chief of the applicant's municipality of residence may, at his discretion, participate in the process by submitting a voluntary report to the Department of Public Safety containing any readily discoverable prior information that he feels may be pertinent to the licensing of any applicant. The reporting shall be made within thirty (30) days after the date he receives the copy of the application. Upon receipt of a response from a sheriff or police chief, such sheriff or police chief shall be reimbursed at a rate set by the department.
(c) The Department of Public Safety shall, within forty-five (45) days after the date of receipt of the items listed in subsection (5) of this section:
(i) Issue the license;
(ii) Deny the application based solely on the ground that the applicant fails to qualify under the criteria listed in subsections (2) and (3) of this section. If the Department of Public Safety denies the application, it shall notify the applicant in writing, stating the ground for denial, and the denial shall be subject to the appeal process set forth in subsection (7); or
(iii) Notify the applicant that the department is unable to make a determination regarding the issuance or denial of a license within the forty-five-day period prescribed by this subsection, and provide an estimate of the amount of time the department will need to make the determination.
(d) In the event a legible set of fingerprints, as determined by the Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cannot be obtained after a minimum of two (2) attempts, the Department of Public Safety shall determine eligibility based upon a name check by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and a Federal Bureau of Investigation name check conducted by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol at the request of the Department of Public Safety.
(7) (a) If the Department of Public Safety denies the issuance of a license, or suspends or revokes a license, the party aggrieved may appeal such denial, suspension or revocation to the Commissioner of Public Safety, or his authorized agent, within thirty (30) days after the aggrieved party receives written notice of such denial, suspension or revocation. The Commissioner of Public Safety, or his duly authorized agent, shall rule upon such appeal within thirty (30) days after the appeal is filed and failure to rule within this thirty-day period shall constitute sustaining such denial, suspension or revocation. Such review shall be conducted pursuant to such reasonable rules and regulations as the Commissioner of Public Safety may adopt.
(b) If the revocation, suspension or denial of issuance is sustained by the Commissioner of Public Safety, or his duly authorized agent pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection, the aggrieved party may file within ten (10) days after the rendition of such decision a petition in the circuit or county court of his residence for review of such decision. A hearing for review shall be held and shall proceed before the court without a jury upon the record made at the hearing before the Commissioner of Public Safety or his duly authorized agent. No such party shall be allowed to carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver pursuant to the provisions of this section while any such appeal is pending.
(8) The Department of Public Safety shall maintain an automated listing of license holders and such information shall be available online, upon request, at all times, to all law enforcement agencies through the Mississippi Crime Information Center. However, the records of the department relating to applications for licenses to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers and records relating to license holders shall be exempt from the provisions of the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, and shall be released only upon order of a court having proper jurisdiction over a petition for release of the record or records.
(9) Within thirty (30) days after the changing of a permanent address, or within thirty (30) days after having a license lost or destroyed, the licensee shall notify the Department of Public Safety in writing of such change or loss. Failure to notify the Department of Public Safety pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall constitute a noncriminal violation with a penalty of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) and shall be enforceable by a summons.
(10) In the event that a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver license is lost or destroyed, the person to whom the license was issued shall comply with the provisions of subsection (9) of this section and may obtain a duplicate, or substitute thereof, upon payment of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) to the Department of Public Safety, and furnishing a notarized statement to the department that such license has been lost or destroyed.
(11) A license issued under this section shall be revoked if the licensee becomes ineligible under the criteria set forth in subsection (2) of this section.
(12) (a) Except as provided in subsection (25) of this section, no less than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration date of the license, the Department of Public Safety shall send to each licensee a written notice of the expiration and a renewal form prescribed by the department. The licensee must renew his license on or before the expiration date by filing with the department the renewal form, a notarized affidavit stating that the licensee remains qualified pursuant to the criteria specified in subsections (2) and (3) of this section if necessary, and a full set of fingerprints administered by the Department of Public Safety or the sheriff of the county of residence of the licensee. The first renewal may be processed by mail "or other means as determined by the Department" and the subsequent renewal must be made in person. Thereafter every other renewal may be processed by mail to assure that the applicant must appear in person every ten (10) years for the purpose of obtaining a new photograph.
(i) Except as provided in this subsection, a renewal fee of Forty Dollars ($40.00) shall also be submitted along with costs for processing the fingerprints;
(ii) Honorably retired law enforcement officers, disabled veterans, active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States and law enforcement officers employed with a law enforcement agency of a municipality, county or state at the time of renewal, shall be exempt from the renewal fee; and
(iii) The renewal fee for a Mississippi resident aged sixty-five (65) years of age or older shall be Twenty Dollars ($20.00).
(b) The Department of Public Safety shall forward the full set of fingerprints of the applicant to the appropriate agencies for state and federal processing. The license shall be renewed upon receipt of the completed renewal application and appropriate payment of fees.
(c) A licensee who fails to file a renewal application on or before its expiration date must renew his license by paying a late fee of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00). No license shall be renewed six (6) months or more after its expiration date, and such license shall be deemed to be permanently expired. A person whose license has been permanently expired may reapply for licensure; however, an application for licensure and fees pursuant to subsection (5) of this section must be submitted, and a background investigation shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of this section.
(13) No license issued pursuant to this section shall authorize any person, except a law enforcement officer as defined in Section 45-6-3 with a distinct license authorized by the Department of Public Safety, to carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver into any place of nuisance as defined in Section 95-3-1, Mississippi Code of 1972; any police, sheriff or highway patrol station; any detention facility, prison or jail; any courthouse; any courtroom, except that nothing in this section shall preclude a judge from carrying a concealed weapon or determining who will carry a concealed weapon in his courtroom; any polling place; any meeting place of the governing body of any governmental entity; any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof; any school, college or professional athletic event not related to firearms; any portion of an establishment, licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, that is primarily devoted to dispensing alcoholic beverages; any portion of an establishment in which beer, light spirit product or light wine is consumed on the premises, that is primarily devoted to such purpose; any elementary or secondary school facility; any junior college, community college, college or university facility unless for the purpose of participating in any authorized firearms-related activity; inside the passenger terminal of any airport, except that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal if the firearm is encased for shipment, for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft; any church or other place of worship, except as provided in Section 45-9-171; or any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law. In addition to the places enumerated in this subsection, the carrying of a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver may be disallowed in any place in the discretion of the person or entity exercising control over the physical location of such place by the placing of a written notice clearly readable at a distance of not less than ten (10) feet that the "carrying of a pistol or revolver is prohibited." No license issued pursuant to this section shall authorize the participants in a parade or demonstration for which a permit is required to carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver.
(14) A law enforcement officer as defined in Section 45-6-3, chiefs of police, sheriffs and persons licensed as professional bondsmen pursuant to Chapter 39, Title 83, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be exempt from the licensing requirements of this section.
(a) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide licenses to law enforcement officers as defined in Section 45-6-3 who choose to obtain a license under the provisions of this section, which shall include a distinction that the officer is an "active duty" law enforcement officer and an endorsement that such officer is authorized to carry in the locations listed in subsection (13). A law enforcement officer shall provide the following information to receive the license described in this subsection: (i) a letter, with the official letterhead of the agency or department for which the officer is employed at the time of application and (ii) a letter with the official letterhead of the agency or department, which explains that such officer has completed a certified law enforcement training academy.
(b) The licensing requirements of this section do not apply to the carrying by any person of a stun gun, pistol or revolver, knife, or other deadly weapon that is not concealed as defined in Section 97-37-1.
(15) Any person who knowingly submits a false answer to any question on an application for a license issued pursuant to this section, or who knowingly submits a false document when applying for a license issued pursuant to this section, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in Section 99-19-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.
(16) All fees collected by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to this section shall be deposited into a special fund hereby created in the State Treasury and shall be used for implementation and administration of this section. After the close of each fiscal year, the balance in this fund shall be certified to the Legislature and then may be used by the Department of Public Safety as directed by the Legislature.
(17) All funds received by a sheriff or police chief pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be deposited into the general fund of the county or municipality, as appropriate, and shall be budgeted to the sheriff's office or police department as appropriate.
(18) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require or allow the registration, documentation or providing of serial numbers with regard to any stun gun or firearm.
(19) Any person holding a valid unrevoked and unexpired license to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers issued in another state shall have such license recognized by this state to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers. The Department of Public Safety is authorized to enter into a reciprocal agreement with another state if that state requires a written agreement in order to recognize licenses to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers issued by this state.
(20) The provisions of this section shall be under the supervision of the Commissioner of Public Safety. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.
(21) For the purposes of this section, the term "stun gun" means a portable device or weapon from which an electric current, impulse, wave or beam may be directed, which current, impulse, wave or beam is designed to incapacitate temporarily, injure, momentarily stun, knock out, cause mental disorientation or paralyze.
(22) (a) From and after January 1, 2016, the Commissioner of Public Safety shall promulgate rules and regulations which provide that licenses authorized by this section for honorably retired law enforcement officers and honorably retired correctional officers from the Mississippi Department of Corrections shall (i) include the words "retired law enforcement officer" on the front of the license, and (ii) unless the licensee chooses to have this license combined with a driver's license or identification card under subsection (25) of this section, that the license itself have a red background to distinguish it from other licenses issued under this section.
(b) An honorably retired law enforcement officer and honorably retired correctional officer shall provide the following information to receive the license described in this section: (i) a letter, with the official letterhead of the agency or department from which such officer is retiring, which explains that such officer is honorably retired, and (ii) a letter with the official letterhead of the agency or department, which explains that such officer has completed a certified law enforcement training academy.
(23) A disabled veteran who seeks to qualify for an exemption under this section shall be required to provide a veterans health services identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs indicating a service-connected disability, which shall be sufficient proof of such service-connected disability.
(24) A license under this section is not required for a loaded or unloaded pistol or revolver to be carried upon the person in a sheath, belt holster or shoulder holster or in a purse, handbag, satchel, other similar bag or briefcase or fully enclosed case if the person is not engaged in criminal activity other than a misdemeanor traffic offense, is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a pistol or revolver under state or federal law, and is not in a location prohibited under subsection (13) of this section. However, the medical use of medical cannabis by a cardholder who is a registered qualifying patient which is lawful under the provisions of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act and in compliance with rules and regulations adopted thereunder shall not disqualify a person under this subsection (24) solely because the person is prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 USCS Section 922(g)(3) due to such medical use of medical cannabis.
(25) An applicant for a license under this section shall have the option of, instead of being issued a separate card for the license, having the license appear as a notation on the individual's driver's license or identification card. If the applicant chooses this option, the license issued under this section shall have the same expiration date as the driver's license or identification card, and renewal shall take place at the same time and place as renewal of the driver's license or identification card. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall have the authority to promulgate rules and regulations which may be necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the concurrent application and renewal processes.
SECTION 7. Section 97-37-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
97-37-7. (1) (a) It shall not be a violation of Section 97-37-1 or any other statute for pistols, firearms or other suitable and appropriate weapons to be carried by duly constituted bank guards, company guards, watchmen, railroad special agents or duly authorized representatives who are not sworn law enforcement officers, agents or employees of a patrol service, guard service, or a company engaged in the business of transporting money, securities or other valuables, while actually engaged in the performance of their duties as such, provided that such persons have made a written application and paid a nonrefundable permit fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) to the Department of Public Safety.
(b) No permit shall be issued to any person who has ever been convicted of a felony under the laws of this or any other state or of the United States. To determine an applicant's eligibility for a permit, the person shall be fingerprinted. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the fingerprints shall be forwarded by the Department of Public Safety to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. The department shall charge a fee which includes the amounts required by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the department for the national and state criminal history record checks and any necessary costs incurred by the department for the handling and administration of the criminal history background checks. In the event a legible set of fingerprints, as determined by the Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cannot be obtained after a minimum of three (3) attempts, the Department of Public Safety shall determine eligibility based upon a name check by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and a Federal Bureau of Investigation name check conducted by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol at the request of the Department of Public Safety.
(c) A person may obtain a duplicate of a lost or destroyed permit upon payment of a Fifteen Dollar ($15.00) replacement fee to the Department of Public Safety, if he furnishes a notarized statement to the department that the permit has been lost or destroyed.
(d) (i) No less than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration date of a permit, the Department of Public Safety shall mail to the permit holder written notice of expiration together with the renewal form prescribed by the department. The permit holder shall renew the permit on or before the expiration date by filing with the department the renewal form, a notarized affidavit stating that the permit holder remains qualified, and the renewal fee of Fifty Dollars ($50.00); honorably retired law enforcement officers shall be exempt from payment of the renewal fee. A permit holder who fails to file a renewal application on or before its expiration date shall pay a late fee of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00).
(ii) Renewal of the permit shall be required every four (4) years. The permit of a qualified renewal applicant shall be renewed upon receipt of the completed renewal application and appropriate payment of fees.
(iii) A permit cannot be renewed six (6) months or more after its expiration date, and such permit shall be deemed to be permanently expired; the holder may reapply for an original permit as provided in this section.
(2) It shall not be a violation of this or any other statute for pistols, firearms or other suitable and appropriate weapons to be carried by Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks law enforcement officers, railroad special agents who are sworn law enforcement officers, investigators employed by the Attorney General, criminal investigators employed by the district attorneys, all prosecutors, public defenders, investigators or probation officers employed by the Department of Corrections, employees of the State Auditor who are authorized by the State Auditor to perform investigative functions, or any deputy fire marshal or investigator employed by the State Fire Marshal, while engaged in the performance of their duties as such, or by fraud investigators with the Department of Human Services, or by judges of the Mississippi Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit, chancery, county, justice and municipal courts, or by coroners. Before any person shall be authorized under this subsection to carry a weapon, he shall complete a weapons training course approved by the Board of Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training. Before any criminal investigator employed by a district attorney shall be authorized under this section to carry a pistol, firearm or other weapon, he shall have complied with Section 45-6-11 or any training program required for employment as an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A law enforcement officer, as defined in Section 45-6-3, shall be authorized to carry weapons in courthouses in performance of his official duties. A person licensed under Section 45-9-101 to carry a concealed pistol, who (a) has voluntarily completed an instructional course in the safe handling and use of firearms offered by an instructor certified by a nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training, or by any other organization approved by the Department of Public Safety, (b) is a member or veteran of any active or reserve component branch of the United States of America Armed Forces having completed law enforcement or combat training with pistols or other handguns as recognized by such branch after submitting an affidavit attesting to have read, understand and agree to comply with all provisions of the enhanced carry law, or (c) is an honorably retired law enforcement officer or honorably retired member or veteran of any active or reserve component branch of the United States of America Armed Forces having completed law enforcement or combat training with pistols or other handguns, after submitting an affidavit attesting to have read, understand and agree to comply with all provisions of Mississippi enhanced carry law shall also be authorized to carry weapons in courthouses except in courtrooms during a judicial proceeding, and any location listed in subsection (13) of Section 45-9-101, except any place of nuisance as defined in Section 95-3-1, any police, sheriff or highway patrol station or any detention facility, prison or jail. For the purposes of this subsection (2), component branch of the United States Armed Forces includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Marine Corps, or the Army National Guard, the Army National Guard of the United States, the Air National Guard or the Air National Guard of the United States, as those terms are defined in Section 101, Title 10, United States Code, and any other reserve component of the United States Armed Forces enumerated in Section 10101, Title 10, United States Code. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations allowing concealed pistol permit holders to obtain an endorsement on their permit indicating that they have completed the aforementioned course and have the authority to carry in these locations. This section shall in no way interfere with the right of a trial judge to restrict the carrying of firearms in the courtroom.
For purposes of this subsection (2), the following words shall have the meanings described herein, unless the context otherwise requires:
(i) "Courthouse" means any building in which a circuit court, chancery court, youth court, municipal court, justice court or any appellate court is located, or any building in which a court of law is regularly held.
(ii) "Courtroom" means the actual room in which a judicial proceeding occurs, including any jury room, witness room, judge's chamber, office housing the judge's staff, or similar room. "Courtroom" shall not mean hallways, courtroom entrances, courthouse grounds, lobbies, corridors, or other areas within a courthouse which are generally open to the public for the transaction of business outside of an active judicial proceeding, the grassed areas, cultivated flower beds, sidewalks, parking lots, or other areas contained within the boundaries of the public land upon which the courthouse is located.
(3) It shall not be a violation of this or any other statute for pistols, firearms or other suitable and appropriate weapons, to be carried by any out-of-state, full-time commissioned law enforcement officer who holds a valid commission card from the appropriate out-of-state law enforcement agency and a photo identification. The provisions of this subsection shall only apply if the state where the out-of-state officer is employed has entered into a reciprocity agreement with the state that allows full-time commissioned law enforcement officers in Mississippi to lawfully carry or possess a weapon in such other states. The Commissioner of Public Safety is authorized to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states to carry out the provisions of this subsection.
SECTION 8. Section 97-37-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
97-37-9. Any person indicted or charged for a violation of Section 97-37-1 may show as a defense:
(a) That he was threatened, and had good and sufficient reason to apprehend a serious attack from any enemy, and that he did so apprehend; or
(b) That he was traveling and was not a tramp, or was setting out on a journey and was not a tramp; or
(c) That he was a law enforcement or peace officer in the discharge of his duties; or
(d) That he was at the time in the discharge of his duties as a mail carrier; or
(e) That he was at the time engaged in transporting valuables for an express company or bank; or
(f) That he was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, National Guard, State Militia, Emergency Management Corps, guard or patrolman in a state or municipal institution while in the performance of his official duties; or
(g) That he was in lawful pursuit of a felon; or
(h) That he was lawfully engaged in legitimate sports; or
(i) That at the time he was a company guard, bank guard, watchman, or other person enumerated in Section 97-37-7, and was then actually engaged in the performance of his duties as such, and then held a valid permit from the sheriff, the commissioner of public safety, or a valid permit issued by the Secretary of State prior to May 1, 1974, to carry the weapon; and the burden of proving either of said defenses shall be on the accused; or
(j) That at the time he or she was a member of a church or place of worship security program, and was then actually engaged in the performance of his or her duties as such and met the requirements of Section 45-9-171 ; or
(k) That at the time he or she was certified under a School Safety Guardian Program, and was then actually engaged in the performance of his or her duties under the program and met the requirements of Section 45-9-181.
SECTION 9. The provisions of this act shall not be applicable to universities, colleges, community or junior colleges.
SECTION 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.