Title 57, Planning, Research and Development

The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, with the approval of the Mississippi Transportation Commission, may enter into agreements for the purposes of this chapter whereby the state shall provide, from the state portion of the funds available, not m…

(1) There is established within the Railroad Revitalization Fund a new account to be entitled the Mississippi Highway-Railroad Grade Crossing Safety Account. The account shall be administered by the Mississippi Department of Transportation and shall consist of:(a) Such monies as …

The Southern Rail Commission is granted the authority to execute and enter into contracts with parties for the purpose of construction of any related infrastructure and/or operations of intercity passenger rail service subject to the approval of any affected railroad and other in…

The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, with the approval of the Mississippi Transportation Commission, may enter into agreements with railroads, the United States government, persons, municipalities, counties, local railroad authorities or regiona…

The Mississippi Department of Transportation may accept federal funds to carry out the provisions of this chapter. All federal grants received under provisions of this chapter shall be expended for the purposes set forth in the federal grants. The transportation department, upon …

Agreements between the railroad corporations and the Mississippi Department of Transportation which do not require payment of a portion of the revenue derived from the improved rail line to be paid by the railroad to the Railroad Revitalization Fund shall require that the railroa…

The board of supervisors of a county or the governing authority of a municipality may, with the approval of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, appropriate funds from the county or municipal general fund to the Railroad Revitalization Fund. The money shall be used in ac…

The implementation of freight rail service projects within the State of Mississippi develops and promotes, for the public good, safety and general welfare, trade, commerce, industry, and employment opportunities, and promotes the general welfare of the state by creating a climate…

(1) The State Bond Commission, at one time, or from time to time, may declare by resolution the necessity for issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Mississippi to provide funds for all costs incurred or to be incurred for the purposes described in Section 57-44-7. …

The principal of and interest on the bonds authorized under Section 57-44-11 shall be payable in the manner provided in this section. Such bonds shall bear such date or dates, be in such denomination or denominations, bear interest at such rate or rates (not to exceed the limits …

The bonds authorized by Section 57-44-11 shall be signed by the Chairman of the State Bond Commission, or by his facsimile signature, and the official seal of the commission shall be affixed thereto, attested by the Secretary of the State Bond Commission. The interest coupons, if…

All bonds and interest coupons issued under the provisions of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 shall have all the qualities and incidents of negotiable instruments under the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, and in exercising the powers granted by this chapter, the Sta…

The State Bond Commission shall act as the issuing agent for the bonds authorized under Section 57-44-11, prescribe the form of the bonds, advertise for and accept bids, issue and sell the bonds so authorized to be sold, pay all fees and costs incurred in such issuance and sale, …

The bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 are general obligations of the State of Mississippi, and for the payment thereof the full faith and credit of the State of Mississippi is irrevocably pledged. If the funds appropriated by the Legislature …

Upon the issuance and sale of bonds under the provisions of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39, the State Bond Commission shall transfer the proceeds of any such sale or sales to the special fund created in Section 57-44-7. The proceeds of such bonds shall be disbursed solely upo…

The bonds authorized under Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 may be issued without any other proceedings or the happening of any other conditions or things other than those proceedings, conditions and things which are specified or required by Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39. …

The bonds authorized under the authority of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 may be validated in the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, in the manner and with the force and effect provided by Chapter 13, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 197…

Any holder of bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 or of any of the interest coupons pertaining thereto may, either at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceeding, protect and enforce any and all rights granted under Sections…

As used in this chapter the term “freight rail service project” means the acquisition, construction, installation, operation, modification, renovation, or rehabilitation of any freight rail service facilities. A project may also include any fixtures, machinery, or equipment used …

All bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 shall be legal investments for trustees and other fiduciaries, and for savings banks, trust companies and insurance companies organized under the laws of the State of Mississippi, and such bonds shall be …

Bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 and income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation in the State of Mississippi.

The proceeds of the bonds issued under Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 shall be used solely for the purposes herein provided, including the costs incident to the issuance and sale of such bonds.

The State Treasurer is authorized to certify to the Department of Finance and Administration the necessity for warrants, and the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration is authorized and directed to issue such warrants, in such amounts as may be necessa…

Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39 shall be deemed to be full and complete authority for the exercise of the powers herein granted, but this chapter shall not be deemed to repeal or to be in derogation of any existing law of this state.

There is established a local governments freight rail service project revolving loan program to be administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development for the purpose of making loans to counties and municipalities that the governing authorities of such counties a…

(1) There is created a special fund in the State Treasury to be designated as the “Local Governments Freight Rail Service Project Revolving Loan Fund,” which fund shall consist of such monies as provided in Sections 57-44-11 through 57-44-39. The fund shall be maintained in perpe…

(a) In administering the provisions of this chapter, the Department of Economic and Community Development shall have the following powers and duties:(a) To supervise the use of all funds made available under this chapter;(b) To review all freight rail service projects for which l…

(a) The Governor, on behalf of this state, is hereby authorized to execute a compact in substantially the following form with the States of Louisiana and Alabama; and the Legislature hereby signifies in advance its approval and ratification of such compact, which compact is as fo…

(1) (a) There is created a special fund in the State Treasury to be known as the Mississippi Railroad Improvements Fund which shall consist of monies from any source designated for deposit into the fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall n…

The Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this state with any and all states legally joining therein in accordance with its terms, in the form substantially as follows: There is hereby created the Southe…

The Governor or his designee and a member of the Mississippi Radiation Advisory Council, established by Section 45-14-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, to be designated by the Governor, shall be the Mississippi members of the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission…

The governor is authorized and empowered to enter into agreements and to perform other necessary acts and deeds incident to the purposes of this compact.

The commission shall submit its budget of estimated expenditures to the legislative budget office for presentation to the Legislature.

The departments, agencies and officers of the state and its subdivisions are hereby authorized to cooperate with the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission in the furtherance of any of its activities pursuant to the compact.

(a) The purposes of this chapter are:(a) To transfer to the Department of Environmental Quality the duties of the Mississippi Energy and Transportation Board with respect to nuclear-related activities within the state.(b) To clarify the manner in which the Department of Environme…

The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Committee hereby created and hereinafter referred to as the “committee” shall exercise the powers and duties and discharge the responsibilities enumerated herein. The committee shall originally consist of eight (8) members, one (1) of whom shall…

(a) The responsibilities and duties of the committee shall include, but not be limited to, the following:(a) To advise the Department of Environmental Quality on all technical matters related to high-level nuclear waste activities within the state.(b) To assist and advise in form…

The board, the council and the committee shall serve as advocates on behalf of the citizens of this state before the federal department of energy and other federal agencies on matters related to the long-term or temporary storage and/or permanent disposal of high-level radioactiv…

The board shall promote and coordinate educational programs which provide information on the nature of high-level radioactive waste and transuranic waste, the long-term or temporary storage and/or permanent disposal of these wastes, the activities of the board, the council and th…

The board, in consultation with the council and the committee, shall review any application to the federal department of energy, other federal agency, or contractor thereof, by a state agency, including the state institutions of higher learning, a local unit of government, or a r…

The board, through the council and the committee, shall monitor activity by Congress and the federal government related to the long-term or temporary storage and/or permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste and transuranic waste. The board, upon recommendation of the cou…

In appropriate cases, the board upon recommendation of the council shall request the state Attorney General to institute or intervene in judicial proceedings to protect the state’s interests and present the state’s point of view on matters related to the long-term or temporary st…

(a) An application for a permit to conduct site characterization studies which shall be filed pursuant to this chapter shall contain the following information and materials:(a) A description of the proposed activities, including maps, present and proposed development, and geologi…

Prior to the initiation of nuclear waste site characterization activities, the board shall require that a written agreement between the federal department of energy and the state shall be concluded in accordance with the provisions of Sections 57-49-29 through 57-49-33. At the co…

(1) The board shall serve as the agency in this state to negotiate written nuclear waste site characterization agreements and modifications and/or technical revisions to these agreements, with the federal Department of Energy on any matter related to the long-term or temporary st…

(a) Unless the context otherwise requires, the words defined in this section shall have the following meaning when found in this chapter:(a) “Department” and “board” shall mean the Department of Environmental Quality.(b) “Committee” shall mean the nuclear waste technical review c…