House Bill 485

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-53, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT TAXPAYER-FUNDED GUN BUY-BACK/DESTRUCTION PROGRAMS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 45-9-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

45-9-53. (1) This section and Section 45-9-51 do not affect the authority that a county or municipality may have under another law:

(a) To require citizens or public employees to be armed for personal or national defense, law enforcement, or another lawful purpose;

(b) To regulate the discharge of firearms within the limits of the county or municipality. A county or municipality may not apply a regulation relating to the discharge of firearms or other weapons in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the county or municipality or in an area annexed by the county or municipality after September 1, 1981, if the firearm or other weapon is:

(i) A shotgun, air rifle or air pistol, BB gun or bow and arrow discharged:

1. On a tract of land of ten (10) acres or more and more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property; and

2. In a manner not reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract; or

(ii) A center fire or rim fire rifle or pistol or a muzzle-loading rifle or pistol of any caliber discharged:

1. On a tract of land of fifty (50) acres or more and more than three hundred (300) feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property; and

2. In a manner not reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract;

(c) To regulate the use of property or location of businesses for uses therein pursuant to fire code, zoning ordinances, or land-use regulations, so long as such codes, ordinances and regulations are not used to circumvent the intent of Section 45-9-51 or paragraph (e) of this subsection;

(d) To regulate the use of firearms in cases of insurrection, riots and natural disasters in which the city finds such regulation necessary to protect the health and safety of the public. However, the provisions of this section shall not apply to the lawful possession of firearms in the home, place of business or in transit to and from the home or place of business;

(e) To regulate the storage or transportation of explosives in order to protect the health and safety of the public, with the exception of black powder which is exempt up to twenty-five (25) pounds per private residence and fifty (50) pounds per retail dealer;

(f) To regulate the carrying of a firearm at: (i) a public park or at a public meeting of a county, municipality or other governmental body; (ii) a political rally, parade or official political meeting; or (iii) a nonfirearm-related school, college or professional athletic event; or

(g) To regulate the receipt of firearms by pawnshops.

(2) The exception provided by subsection (1)(f) of this section does not apply if the firearm was in or carried to and from an area designated for use in a lawful hunting, fishing or other sporting event and the firearm is of the type commonly used in the activity.

(3) No county, municipality or other governmental body, or an agent of a county, municipality or other governmental body, may participate in any program in which individuals are given a thing of value provided by another individual or other entity in exchange for surrendering a firearm to the county, municipality or other governmental body unless:

(a) The county, municipality or other governmental body has adopted a resolution, ordinance or rule authorizing the participation of the county, municipality or other governmental body, or participation by an agent of the county, municipality or other governmental body, in such a program; and

(b) Any resolution, ordinance or rule enacted pursuant to this section must require that any firearm received shall be offered for sale at auction as provided by Sections 19-3-85 and 21-39-21 to federally-licensed firearms dealers, with the proceeds from such sale at auction reverting to the general operating fund of the county, municipality or other governmental body. Any firearm remaining in possession of the county, municipality or other governmental body after attempts to sell at auction may be disposed of in a manner that the body deems appropriate.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.