House Bill 1311

AN ACT TO REENACT AND AMEND SECTION 41-29-176, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH WAS REPEALED BY OPERATION OF LAW ON JULY 1, 2018; TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE FORFEITURE PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN SEIZED PROPERTY UNDER THE UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES LAW THAT HAS A VALUE OF LESS THAN TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS; TO PROVIDE THAT IF THE VALUE OF FORFEITED PROPERTY DOES NOT EXCEED TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, SUBSTITUTE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ADMINISTRATIVELY FORFEIT THE PROPERTY MAY BE MADE BY POSTING A NOTICE ON AN OFFICIAL STATE GOVERNMENT FORFEITURE SITE FOR AT LEAST THIRTY CONSECUTIVE DAYS; TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH SITE SHALL BE CREATED AND MAINTAINED BY THE MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS; TO AUTHORIZE THE BUREAU TO CHARGE A REASONABLE FEE IF OTHER SEIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES CHOOSE TO UTILIZE SUCH SITE FOR INTERNET PUBLICATION; TO PROVIDE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH NOTICE OF PUBLICATION; TO AUTHORIZE ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN PROPERTY WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF A NOTICE TO FILE A PETITION TO CONTEST FORFEITURE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF SUCH NOTICE OR OF THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF SUCH NOTICE; TO REQUIRE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE TO PREPARE A WRITTEN DECLARATION OF FORFEITURE OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IF NO PETITION TO CONTEST FORFEITURE IS TIMELY FILED AND A SEIZURE WARRANT WAS PROPERLY OBTAINED; TO PROVIDE THAT THE FORFEITED PROPERTY SHALL BE USED, DISTRIBUTED OR DISPOSED OF IF NO PETITION TO CONTEST FORFEITURE IS TIMELY FILED AND A SEIZURE WARRANT WAS PROPERLY OBTAINED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 41-29-176, Mississippi Code of 1972, which was repealed by operation of law on July 1, 2018, is reenacted and amended as follows:

41-29-176. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 41-29-107.1, when any property other than a controlled substance, raw material or paraphernalia, the value of which does not exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), is seized under the Uniform Controlled Substances Law, the property may be forfeited by the administrative forfeiture procedures provided for in this section.

(2) The attorney for or any representative of the seizing law enforcement agency shall provide notice of intention to forfeit the seized property administratively, either by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal delivery, to all persons who are required to be notified pursuant to Section 41-29-177(2).

(3) If notice of intention to forfeit the seized property administratively cannot be given as provided in subsection (2) of this section because of refusal, failure to claim, insufficient address or any other reason, the attorney for or representative of the seizing law enforcement agency shall provide notice by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the seizure occurred for once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks. However, if the value of the property seized does not exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), substitute notice under this subsection (3) of intention to administratively forfeit the property may be made by posting a notice on an official state government forfeiture site for at least thirty (30) consecutive days. The site shall be created and maintained by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Should other seizing law enforcement agencies choose to utilize the site for Internet publication, the bureau may charge a reasonable fee for such usage.

(4) Notice pursuant to subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall include the following information:

(a) A description of the property;

(b) The approximate value of the property;

(d) The connection between the property and the violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Law;

(e) The instructions for filing a request for judicial review; * * *~~and~~

(f) The seizing law enforcement agency's mailing address; and

( * * *fg) A statement that the property will be forfeited to the seizing law enforcement agency if a request for judicial review is not timely filed.

(5) Any person claiming an interest in property which is the subject of a notice under this section may, within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice or of the date of the first publication of the notice, * * * may contest the forfeiture of the seized property by sending a written notice of contest to the seizing law enforcement agency at the address listed on the notice of intent to forfeit. The claimant's written notice of contest shall contain the following information:

(a) Identification of any item(s) of property the claimant seeks to recover;

(b) State the contesting interested party's name, physical address, and phone number;

(d) signature of the claimant and date of the notice of contest.

(6) Upon receipt of the notice to contest, the seizing law enforcement agency shall have thirty (30) days to file a petition to forfeit the seized property in the county court, if a county court exists, or otherwise in the circuit court, of the county in which the seizure is made or the county in which the criminal prosecution is brought. Service of the petition shall be made on each interested party in accordance with the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, and the proceedings shall thereafter be governed by the rules of civil procedure.

( * * *67) If no * * *~~petition~~ written notice to contest forfeiture is timely sent to the seizing law enforcement agency, and if * * *~~filed and~~ a seizure warrant was properly obtained, the district attorney or his or her designee or the attorney for the bureau, as applicable, shall prepare a written declaration of forfeiture of the subject property and the forfeited property shall be used, distributed or disposed of in accordance with the provisions of Section 41-29-181.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.