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To: State Affairs;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Ford (73rd)
HOUSE BILL NO. 1053
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-19, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
AUTHORIZE THE CHIEF OF THE CAPITOL POLICE AND/OR THE COMMISSIONER 2
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO CREATE AND EMPLOY A 3
PART-TIME RESERVE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION TO ASSIST IN EXECUTION 4
OF THEIR DUTIES IN THE CAPITOL COMPLEX IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT; AND 5
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. Section 45-1-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 8
amended as follows: 9
45-1-19. (1) The Department of Public Safety, through the 10
Office of Capitol Police, shall have jurisdiction relative to the 11
enforcement of all laws of the State of Mississippi on the 12
properties, from curb to curb, including adjoining streets, 13
sidewalks and leased parking lots within the Capitol Complex, set 14
forth in Section 29-5-2, the Governor's mansion, the Supreme Court 15
Building, the Mississippi Department of Transportation Building 16
and the Public Employees' Retirement System Building, and any 17
property purchased, constructed or otherwise acquired by the State 18
of Mississippi for conducting state business and not specifically 19
under the supervision and care by any other state entity, but 20
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which is reasonably assumed the Department of Public Safety would 21
be responsible for such. The Department of Public Safety shall, 22
through any person or persons appointed by the commissioner, make 23
arrests for any violation of any law of the State of Mississippi 24
on the grounds of or within those properties. The Department of 25
Public Safety shall, in addition, enforce the provisions of this 26
section and Sections 29-5-57 through 29-5-67, 29-5-73 through 27
29-5-75, and 29-5-81 through 29-5-95, and prescribe such rules and 28
regulations as are necessary therefor. The powers and duties 29
related to the administration of Sections 29-5-57 through 29-5-67, 30
29-5-73 through 29-5-75, and 29-5-81 through 29-5-95 shall remain 31
with the Department of Finance and Administration. 32
(2) Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of 33
State Institutions of Higher Learning, the Board of Trustees and 34
the Department of Public Safety shall be authorized to enter into 35
a contract for the Department of Public Safety to supply the 36
security personnel with jurisdiction to enforce all laws of the 37
State of Mississippi on the property of the Board of Trustees 38
located at the corner of Ridgewood Road and Lakeland Drive in the 39
City of Jackson. 40
(3) The Department of Public Safety and the Department of 41
Agriculture are authorized to enter into a contract for the 42
Department of Public Safety to have jurisdiction and enforce all 43
laws of the State of Mississippi on the property of the Department 44
of Agriculture located at 121 North Jefferson Street and the new 45
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Farmers Market Building located at the corner of High and 46
Jefferson Streets in the City of Jackson, Hinds County, 47
Mississippi. It is the intent of the Legislature that the 48
Department of Public Safety will not post any security personnel 49
at such buildings, but will provide regular vehicle patrols and 50
responses to security system alarms. 51
(4) The Department of Public Safety and the Department of 52
Agriculture are authorized to enter into a contract for the 53
Department of Public Safety to have jurisdiction and enforce all 54
laws of the State of Mississippi on the property of the Department 55
of Agriculture known as the "Mississippi State Fairgrounds 56
Complex" and any and all of its outlying buildings and property. 57
The Department of Public Safety and the Department of Agriculture 58
are authorized to enter into a contract for the Department of 59
Public Safety to supply the security personnel to the Department 60
of Agriculture with jurisdiction to enforce all laws of the State 61
of Mississippi on this property and any and all buildings on this 62
property. The Department of Public Safety is authorized to charge 63
the Department of Agriculture a fee for security services provided 64
for special events at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds Complex. 65
The fee charged will be commensurate with the cost associated with 66
the Department of Public Safety providing those services. 67
(5) The Department of Public Safety and the Department of 68
Revenue are authorized to enter into a contract for the Department 69
of Public Safety to supply the security personnel with 70
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jurisdiction to enforce all laws of the State of Mississippi at 71
the Alcoholic Beverage Control facility and the Department of 72
Revenue main office. 73
(6) (a) The Department of Public Safety shall have primary 74
jurisdiction relative to any other state or municipal law 75
enforcement agency to enforce all laws of the State of Mississippi 76
within the boundaries of the Capitol Complex Improvement District 77
created in Section 29-5-203; such enforcement shall be its primary 78
function. The Department of Public Safety may, through any person 79
or persons appointed by the Department of Public Safety, make 80
arrests for any violation of any law of the State of Mississippi 81
and violations of the City of Jackson's traffic ordinances or 82
ordinances related to the disturbance of the public peace which 83
occurs within the boundaries of the district and within the 84
boundaries of the City of Jackson. The Department of Public 85
Safety may choose to present cases to either the District Attorney 86
or the prosecuting attorneys designated by the Attorney General 87
for prosecution of any violation of law that accrues or occurs, in 88
whole or in part, within the boundaries established by Section 89
29-5-203. The jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety 90
granted under this subsection (6) shall be concurrent with the 91
jurisdiction of the City of Jackson, Mississippi, and that of 92
Hinds County, Mississippi, within the boundaries of the Capitol 93
Complex Improvement District created in Section 29-5-203. At any 94
time and/or during any event necessitating the coordination of 95
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and/or utilization at multiple jurisdictions, as determined by the 96
Chief of Capitol Police or the Commissioner of the Department of 97
Public Safety shall be the lead agency when the event occurs on 98
property as defined herein that is owned or leased by the state as 99
provided in subsection (1) of this section. The jurisdiction and 100
authority of the Department of Public Safety under this subsection 101
(6) shall be in addition to any other jurisdiction and authority 102
provided to the department under this section or any other law. 103
(b) The Department of Public Safety shall have 104
jurisdiction relative to the enforcement of all laws of the State 105
of Mississippi within the boundaries of the City of Jackson, 106
Mississippi. The Department of Public Safety may, through any 107
person or persons appointed by the Department of Public Safety, 108
make arrests for any violation of any law of the State of 109
Mississippi which occurs within the boundaries of the City of 110
Jackson. The jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety 111
granted under this paragraph (b) shall not be primary and shall be 112
concurrent with the jurisdiction of the City of Jackson, 113
Mississippi, and that of Hinds County, Mississippi. 114
(c) (i) Written approval from the Chief of the Capitol 115
Police or the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety 116
shall be required before any event occurs which will take place on 117
any street or sidewalk immediately adjacent to any building or 118
property owned or occupied by any official, agency, board, 119
commission, office or other entity of the State of Mississippi, or 120
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which can reasonably be expected to block, impede or otherwise 121
hinder ingress thereto and/or egress therefrom. The Department of 122
Public Safety shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate 123
the provisions of this paragraph (c). 124
(ii) The Chief of the Capitol Police is authorized 125
to issue solicitation permits in conformity with the Safe 126
Solicitation Act, Sections 17-31-1 through 17-31-11, within the 127
boundaries of the Capitol Complex Improvement District. 128
(d) The Chief of the Capitol Police and/or the 129
Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, the Chief of the 130
Jackson Police Department, and the Sheriff of Hinds County shall 131
hold a regular meeting within the boundaries of the Capitol 132
Complex Improvement District to address the concerns of the 133
public. Each meeting shall be called by the Chief of the Capitol 134
Police; and the first meeting shall be called by October 15, 2023. 135
(e) The Chief of the Capitol Police and/or the 136
Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety is authorized to 137
create a part-time reserve law enforcement division to assist with 138
the duties described in this section for the Capitol Complex 139
Improvement District. 140
(7) The Department of Public Safety is authorized to enter 141
into a contract with any county for the county to take custody of 142
the misdemeanor offenders arrested under the authority granted 143
under this section. 144
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ST: Capitol Police; authorize to create and
employ a part-time law enforcement reserve unit.
(8) All accrued personal leave earned pursuant to Section 145
25-3-93, accrued major medical leave earned pursuant to Section 146
25-3-95, accrued state compensatory leave earned pursuant to 147
Section 25-3-92, and compensatory leave earned pursuant to the 148
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) shall transfer from the Department 149
of Finance and Administration to the Department of Public Safety 150
for all employees transferred under this section. 151
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 152
and after July 1, 2026. 153