Counties; shorten notice requirement for special meetings from five days to three days.

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To: County Affairs
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Mattox, Carpenter, Byrd

HOUSE BILL NO. 1231
(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-3-19, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
SHORTEN THE REQUIREMENT FOR NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETINGS OF COUNTY 2
BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS FROM FIVE DAYS TO THREE BUSINESS DAYS; AND 3
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 19-3-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
19-3-19. (1) The board of supervisors may, at a regular 8
meeting, by an order on its minutes, adjourn to meet at any time 9
it may determine upon. 10
(2) The president, or the vice president in the absence or 11
disability of the president, or any three (3) members of the 12
board, may call special meetings when deemed necessary. Notice 13
shall be given of all special meetings, for at least * * * three 14
(3) business days, by advertisement posted at the courthouse door, 15
or published in a newspaper of the county, and the notice thereof, 16
whether posted or published in a newspaper, shall be entered in 17
full on the minutes of said meeting. In addition, notice shall be 18
posted on the official county website and/or the county's official 19
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social media webpage for the duration of at least three (3) days 20
immediately preceding the special meeting. The notice of a 21
special meeting * * * shall specify each matter of business to be 22
transacted thereat, and at such special meetings business shall 23
not be transacted which is not specified in the order or notice 24
for such meeting. 25
(3) The president, or the vice president in the absence or 26
disability of the president, or any two (2) members of the board, 27
may by written notice, call an emergency meeting of the board of 28
supervisors in cases of an emergency arising as a result of 29
serious damage to county property, or to roads or bridges, or 30
emergencies arising as a result of epidemic conditions or weather 31
conditions. The notice shall state the time of the meeting and 32
distinctly specify the subject matters of business to be acted 33
upon and be signed before a notary by the officer or officers 34
calling the meeting. At least three (3) hours before the time 35
fixed for the meeting, notice shall be personally delivered to the 36
members of the board who have not signed it and who can be found. 37
The notice shall also be posted at the courthouse door at least 38
three (3) hours before the time fixed for the meeting. If a 39
member of the board cannot be found to complete the personal 40
delivery of the notice, the president, vice president or any one 41
of the two (2) members of the board calling an emergency meeting 42
shall make every attempt, within the applicable notice period, to 43
contact the board member that was not personally found by other 44
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ST: Counties; shorten notice requirement for
special meetings from five days to three days.
available means, including, but not limited to, telephone or 45
e-mail. The method of notice used to call the meeting shall be 46
entered on the minutes of the emergency meeting, and business not 47
specified in the notice shall not be transacted at the meeting. 48
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 49
and after July 1, 2026. 50