Senate Bill 2508

AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTIONS 49-16-1, 49-16-3 AND 49-16-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE A COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON COASTAL RESILIENCY AND RESTORATION; TO DEFINE ITS MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 49-16-1, Mississippi Code of 1972:

49-16-1. The Legislature finds that: (1) To effectively facilitate coastal resiliency and restoration, coordination between governmental agencies involved in these areas is of vital importance; and

(2) A coordinating body of agencies charged with expending restoration and resiliency funds is the best means for accomplishing effective planning of the state's resiliency and restoration efforts.

SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 49-16-3, Mississippi Code of 1972:

49-16-3. (1) There is hereby created the Coordinating Committee for Coastal Resiliency and Restoration. The committee shall consist of:

(a) The Executive Director of the Department of Marine Resources;

(b) The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality;

(d) An appointee from Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. The board of supervisors of each county shall make the appointment;

(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation;

(f) The Executive Director of the Emergency Management Agency;

(g) The Secretary of State;

(h) The State Forrester; and

(i) The Executive Director of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.

(2) With the exception of the appointees from Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties, all appointees may designate a subordinate employee for their agency to serve on the committee. Members who are public officers or employees may receive travel reimbursement from their respective state agencies as provided in Section 25-3-41. Employees of the state agencies and counties set out in this section shall aid the committee when requested by the committee to do so.

SECTION 3. The following shall be codified as Section 49-16-5, Mississippi Code of 1972:

49-16-5. (1) The committee shall be responsible for developing a master plan for coastal resiliency and restoration which shall be revised as deemed necessary by the committee. The committee shall meet at least once annually to determine what steps need to be taken in association with the development and modifications to the resiliency and restoration plan.

(2) Specifically, the committee's duties and responsibilities are as follows:

(a) To identify priority-need areas;

(b) To identify and define the state's goals and objectives for the state's coastal resiliency and restoration efforts;

(c) To identify metrics and criteria by which to assess the impact of the state's coastal resiliency and restoration efforts and a method for monitoring such efforts;

(d) To identify the available funding sources that could be used to carry out a coastal resiliency and restoration master plan, including the limitations of each funding source. In carrying out this duty, the committee shall not be limited to a particular agency program or funding stream;

(e) To identify strategies to collaborate and leverage state, federal, and local funding; and

(f) To identify any changes in statutes, regulations, or structure that needs to be amended to better support the state coastal resiliency and restoration process.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.