Bill Text: MS SB2216 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Department of Public Safety; efficiency and transparency for driver's license stations and firearm fingerprint locations.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Failed) 2019-02-05 - Died In Committee [SB2216 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2019-SB2216-Introduced.html

---

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2019 Regular Session

To: Judiciary, Division B; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hudson

Senate Bill 2216

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY; TO REQUIRE THE OFFICE OF DRIVER SERVICES TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF DRIVER'S LICENSE STATIONS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND TO PUBLISH THE HOURS OF OPERATION FOR EACH STATION; TO REQUIRE AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF FIREARM PERMIT FINGERPRINT LOCATIONS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND TO ENSURE AVAILABILITY OF A FINGERPRINT TECHNICIAN AT EVERY LOCATION DURING ALL POSTED HOURS OF OPERATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 45-1-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     45-1-2.  (1)  The Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety shall be the Commissioner of Public Safety.

     (2)  The Commissioner of Public Safety shall establish the organizational structure of the Department of Public Safety, which shall include the creation of any units necessary to implement the duties assigned to the department and consistent with specific requirements of law, including, but not limited to:

          (a)  Office of Public Safety Planning;

          (b)  Office of Medical Examiner;

          (c)  Office of Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol;

          (d)  Office of Forensics Laboratories;

          (e)  Office of Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy;

          (f)  Office of Support Services;

          (g)  Office of Narcotics, which shall be known as the Bureau of Narcotics; * * *and

          (h)  Office of Homeland Security * * *.;

          (i)  Office of Driver Services; and

          (j)  Firearm Permit Division.

     (3)  The department shall be headed by a commissioner * * *, who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor.  The appointment of the commissioner shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate.  The commissioner may assign to the appropriate offices such powers and duties as deemed appropriate to carry out the department's lawful functions.

     (4)  The commissioner of the department shall appoint heads of offices, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.  The commissioner shall have the authority to organize the offices established by subsection (2) of this section as deemed appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the department.  The organization charts of the department shall be presented annually with the budget request of the Governor for review by the Legislature.

     (5)  The commissioner of the department shall appoint, from within the Department of Public Safety, a statewide safety training officer who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner and whose duty it shall be to perform public training for both law enforcement and private persons throughout the state concerning proper emergency response to the mentally ill, terroristic threats or acts, domestic conflict, other conflict resolution, and such other matters as the commissioner may direct.

     SECTION 2.  The Office of Driver Services shall maintain an adequate number of driver's license stations conveniently located throughout the state, but in no event may the number of stations be fewer than the number of stations that existed on July 1, 2018.  The Department of Public Safety must publish on its website the hours of operation for each station, and the hours of operation must also be posted on the main entrance of the station.

     SECTION 3.  There must be an adequate number of firearm permit fingerprint locations conveniently located throughout the state, but in no event may the number of locations be fewer than the number of locations that existed on July 1, 2018.  The Department of Public Safety must publish on the application for a firearm permit the hours of operation for each location, and the hours of operation must also be posted on the main entrance of the location.

     The commissioner must ensure that every firearm permit fingerprint location has an employee available and on-site during all published hours of operation who is qualified to perform the type of fingerprinting technology in use at that location.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.

---