MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2024 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Wiggins, Barrett

Senate Bill 2285

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-12, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE SALARY SCHEDULE OF OFFICERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY PATROL, INCLUDING THOSE SERVING IN A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS; TO PROVIDE THAT AN OFFICER WHO HOLDS CERTAIN DEGREES SHALL BE PAID AN ADDITIONAL SUM; TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE LEGISLATURE MUST PROVIDE AN "ACROSS-THE-BOARD" SALARY INCREASE BEFORE THE STATE PERSONNEL BOARD IS AUTHORIZED TO REVISE THE SALARY SCALE; 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 46,950

Trooper FC  49,700

Corporal   52,450

Sergeant    55,200

Rank Years of Experience

Over 16 Over 20 Over 24 Over 29

Staff Sgt. 57,950

Sr. Staff Sgt.  60,700

Sgt. 1st Class  63,700 

                 66,800

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

Lieutenant                  

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

Captain                           

  82,000 85,000 88,000 91,000 94,000

Major                                   

  94,000 97,000 100,000 103,000

Lt. Colonel                             

   103,000 106,000 109,000 112,000

Colonel                                 

         119,500   119,500  119,500   119,500

              Less than 1 Less than 2 Less than 3 Less than 4

Trooper        60,000      62,000      64,000      66,000

              Less than 5 Less than 6 Less than 7 Less than 8

Trooper FC     68,000      70,000      71,000      72,000

Master Sgt.                76,000      77,000      78,000

Lieutenant                                         84,000

              Less than 9 Less than 10 Less than 11 Less than 12

Trooper FC II  73,000      74,000      75,000      76,000

Master Sgt.    79,000      80,000      81,000      82,000

Lieutenant     85,000      86,000      87,000      88,000

              Less than 13 Less than 14 Less than 15 Less than 16

Corporal       77,000      78,000      79,000      80,000

Master Sgt.    83,000      84,000      85,000      86,000

Lieutenant     89,000      90,000      91,000      92,000

Captain (Admin)                                    105,000

Captain (Troop)                                    115,000

Major                                              125,000

Lt. Colonel                                        135,000

Colonel                                            150,000

Rank                     Years of Experience

              Less than 18 Less than 20 Less than 22 Less than 24

Corporal II    81,000      82,000     

Sergeant                               83,000      84,000

Master Sgt.    87,000      88,000      89,000      90,000

Lieutenant     93,000      94,000      95,000      96,000

              24 and Over

Senior Sgt.    90,000

Master Sgt.    96,000

Lieutenant     102,000

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 46,950

LE‑Agent II   49,700

LE‑Agent III   52,450

LE‑Agent IV    55,200

Rank Years of Experience

Over 16 Over 20 Over 24 Over 29

LE‑Agent V 57,950

LE‑Agent VI  60,700

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

Captain                   

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

Major                  

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

Lt. Colonel                    

  103,000 106,000 109,000 112,000

Colonel                                 

119,500 119,500 119,500 119,500

              Less than 1 Less than 2 Less than 3 Less than 4

LE-Agent I     60,000      62,000      64,000      66,000

              Less than 5 Less than 6 Less than 7 Less than 8

LE-Agent II    68,000      70,000      71,000      72,000

              Less than 13 Less than 14 Less than 15 Less than 16

LE-Agent III   77,000

LE-Agent IV                78,000      79,000      80,000

Rank                       Years of Experience

              Less than 18 Less than 20 Less than 22 Less than 24

LE-Agent V     81,000      82,000

LE-Agent VI                            83,000      84,000

     (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 addition to the salary provided in accordance with the above scale, officers shall be paid an additional annual sum for holding one or more of the following degrees from an accredited college or university:

     Degree             Additional Sum

(a)  Associate's          $ 1,200

(b)  Bachelor's           $ 2,400

(c)  Master's             $ 3,600

     An officer shall not be entitled to more than a single additional annual sum pursuant to this paragraph, regardless of the number of degrees a officer may hold.

     ( * * *56)  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.

     ( * * *67)  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.

     ( * * *78)  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, 2024.