Bill Text: MS HB694 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Public officials; require to file report with the Secretary of State for certain gifts received.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2015-02-03 - Died In Committee [HB694 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2015-HB694-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2015 Regular Session
To: Judiciary A; Fees and Salaries of Public Officers
By: Representative Brown (66th)
House Bill 694
AN ACT TO REQUIRE ALL PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO FILE AN ANNUAL REPORT ON CERTAIN GIFTS WITH THE MISSISSIPPI ETHICS COMMISSION; TO EXCLUDE GIFTS FROM CERTAIN RELATIVES FROM THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ACT; TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI ETHICS COMMISSION TO PREPARE AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS A FORM FOR THE REQUIRED REPORTING OF GIFTS UNDER THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) The following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(a) "Public official" means a person elected by popular vote to any legislative, executive or judicial office, whether the office is statewide, district, county, municipal or any other political subdivision and a person who is appointed by a person who is elected by popular vote.
(b) "Gift" means a tangible good, including money, or a service having a retail value equal to or exceeding Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) which is given to an elected official for which consideration of equal or greater value is not received from the official, including a rebate or discount in the price of anything of value unless the rebate or discount is made in the ordinary course of business to a member of the public without regard to that person's status as an elected official. The term "gift" does not include a campaign contribution reported under Chapter 15, Title 23, Mississippi Code of 1972.
(c) "Relative" means the spouse of the public official, a child of the public official or the spouse of a child, a parent of the public official or the spouse of a parent, and a sibling of the public official or the spouse of a sibling.
(2) Each public official in the State of Mississippi shall file an annual report with the Mississippi Ethics Commission on gifts received by the public official during the preceding twelve-month period. Except as is otherwise provided in this subsection, for each gift received by the public official, the report must include:
(a) The name of the donor of the gift;
(b) A description and the estimated monetary value of the gift, with sufficient detail so that the nature of the gift is clear; and
(c) The place and date the gift was given.
Exempted from the reporting requirements of this section is any gift made to a public official by a relative of the public official.
(3) The Mississippi Ethics Commission shall prepare a form for the reporting of gifts and shall make copies of the form available to all persons required to file a report under this section. In addition, the Ethics Commission shall establish the date by which reports must be received in the Office of the Ethics Commission, such established reporting date shall be the same day as required by the Ethics Commission for filing the statement of Economic Interest form and shall specify the months which must be covered by the report.
(4) Reports filed pursuant to this section must be made available for public inspection during regular office hours at the Ethics Commission.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.
