Mississippi Search and Rescue Program Act; enact.

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To: Government Structure;
Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) McLendon

SENATE BILL NO. 2261

AN ACT TO ENACT THE MISSISSIPPI SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM 1
ACT; TO DEFINE TERMS; TO ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI SEARCH AND 2
RESCUE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE OFFICE TO PERFORM CERTAIN DUTIES 3
UNDER THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE TO 4
PERFORM CERTAIN DUTIES; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM SHALL BE 5
PROVIDED WITH THE NECESSARY FUNDING FOR EQUIPMENT, TRAINING 6
FACILITIES, AND WAREHOUSES FOR EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL FOR THE 7
PROGRAM TO PERFORM ITS FUNCTIONS; TO CREATE A SPECIAL FUND WITH 8
THE STATE TREASURY TO BE KNOWN AS THE MISSISSIPPI SEARCH AND 9
RESCUE PROGRAM FUND; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 12
"Mississippi Search and Rescue Program Act." 13
SECTION 2. For purposes of this act, the following words 14
shall have the meanings ascribed herein unless the context clearly 15
requires otherwise: 16
(a) "Agency" means the Mississippi Emergency Management 17
Agency. 18
(b) "Department" means the Department of Public Safety. 19
(c) "Fund" means the Mississippi Search and Rescue 20
Program Fund created in this act. 21
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(d) "Office" means the Mississippi Office of Homeland 22
Security. 23
(e) "Program" means the Mississippi Search And Rescue 24
Program established in this act. 25
SECTION 3. (1) There is established the Mississippi Search 26
and Rescue Program. The office shall be the coordinating state 27
agency. 28
(2) Under the program, the office: 29
(a) Shall develop, coordinate, respond to, and maintain 30
the State of Mississippi's efforts toward providing resources to 31
conduct search and rescue operations after man-made or natural 32
disasters as well as conducting other operations within the 33
boundaries of the State of Mississippi or in coordinated response 34
with other states or the federal government; 35
(b) Provide clerical, administrative and technical 36
assistance for the program; and 37
(c) Develop policies and procedures to guide during the 38
operation of the program. 39
(3) The director of the office shall: 40
(a) Designate an employee of the office to assist with 41
the administrative requirements associated with the establishment 42
and maintenance of the program; and 43
(b) Employ, as necessary, other personnel to assist in 44
the operations of the program, including personnel overseeing 45
urban search and rescue operations, planning and logistics. 46
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ST: Mississippi Search and Rescue Program Act;
enact.
(4) The program shall be provided with the necessary funding 47
for equipment, training facilities and warehouses for equipment 48
and personnel for the program to perform its functions. 49
SECTION 4. There is created within the State Treasury a 50
special fund to be known as the Mississippi Search and Rescue 51
Program Fund. The fund shall consist of monies received from 52
grants, gifts, state appropriations and federal funds. Monies in 53
the fund shall be disbursed by the office for the purposes of the 54
program upon appropriation by the Legislature. Unexpended amounts 55
remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse 56
into the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or 57
interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the 58
credit of the fund. 59
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 60
and after July 1, 2026. 61