Mississippi 2025 Regular Session

Mississippi Senate Bill SB2249 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2025 Regular Session To: Environment Prot, Cons and Water Res By: Senator(s) Frazier Senate Bill 2249 AN ACT TO GRANT THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AUTHORITY TO ADOPT REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE PLACEMENT OF LARGE SOLAR PANELS; TO AMEND SECTION 49-2-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations concerning the placement of large solar panels. SECTION 2. Section 49-2-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 49-2-9. (1) Effective July 1, 1979, the commission shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To formulate the policy of the department regarding natural resources within the jurisdiction of the department; (b) To adopt, modify, repeal, and promulgate, after due notice and hearing, and where not otherwise prohibited by federal or state law, to make exceptions to and grant exemptions and variances from, and to enforce rules and regulations implementing or effectuating the powers and duties of the commission under any and all statutes within the commission's jurisdiction, and as the commission may deem necessary to prevent, control and abate existing or potential pollution; (c) To apply for, receive and expend any federal or state funds or contributions, gifts, devises, bequests or funds from any other source; (d) To commission or conduct studies designed to determine alternative methods of managing or using the natural resources of this state, in a manner to insure efficiency and maximum productivity; (e) To enter into, and to authorize the executive director to execute with the approval of the commission, contracts, grants and cooperative agreements with any federal or state agency or subdivision thereof, or any public or private institution located inside or outside the State of Mississippi, or any person, corporation or association in connection with carrying out the provisions of this chapter; but this authority under this chapter and under any and all statutes within the commission's jurisdiction, except those statutes relating to the Bureau of Recreation and Parks, shall not include contracts, grants or cooperative agreements which do not develop data or information usable by the commission, or which provide goods, services or facilities to the commission or any of its bureaus, and shall exclude any monies for special interest groups for purposes of lobbying or otherwise promoting their special interests; * * * and (f) To discharge such other duties, responsibilities and powers as are necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter * * *.; and (g) To regulate placement of large solar panels, pursuant to Section 1 of this act. (2) The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology and Energy Resources shall be responsible for program management, procurement, development and maintenance of the Mississippi Digital Earth Model, which should include the following seven (7) core data layers of a digital land base computer model of the State of Mississippi: (a) Geodetic control; (b) Elevation and bathymetry; (c) Orthoimagery; (d) Hydrography; (e) Transportation; (f) Government boundaries; and (g) Cadastral. With respect to the cadastral layer, the authority and responsibility of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology and Energy Resources shall be limited to compiling information submitted by counties. For all seven (7) framework layers, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology and Energy Resources shall be the integrator of data from all sources and the guarantor of data completeness and consistency and shall administer the council's policies and standards for the procurement of remote sensing and geographic information system data by state and local governmental entities. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
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3	3	MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
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5	5	2025 Regular Session
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7	7	To: Environment Prot, Cons and Water Res
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9	9	By: Senator(s) Frazier
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11	11	# Senate Bill 2249
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13	13	AN ACT TO GRANT THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AUTHORITY TO ADOPT REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE PLACEMENT OF LARGE SOLAR PANELS; TO AMEND SECTION 49-2-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
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15	15	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
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17	17	SECTION 1. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations concerning the placement of large solar panels.
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19	19	SECTION 2. Section 49-2-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
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21	21	49-2-9. (1) Effective July 1, 1979, the commission shall have the following powers and duties:
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23	23	(a) To formulate the policy of the department regarding natural resources within the jurisdiction of the department;
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25	25	(b) To adopt, modify, repeal, and promulgate, after due notice and hearing, and where not otherwise prohibited by federal or state law, to make exceptions to and grant exemptions and variances from, and to enforce rules and regulations implementing or effectuating the powers and duties of the commission under any and all statutes within the commission's jurisdiction, and as the commission may deem necessary to prevent, control and abate existing or potential pollution;
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27	27	(c) To apply for, receive and expend any federal or state funds or contributions, gifts, devises, bequests or funds from any other source;
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29	29	(d) To commission or conduct studies designed to determine alternative methods of managing or using the natural resources of this state, in a manner to insure efficiency and maximum productivity;
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31	31	(e) To enter into, and to authorize the executive director to execute with the approval of the commission, contracts, grants and cooperative agreements with any federal or state agency or subdivision thereof, or any public or private institution located inside or outside the State of Mississippi, or any person, corporation or association in connection with carrying out the provisions of this chapter; but this authority under this chapter and under any and all statutes within the commission's jurisdiction, except those statutes relating to the Bureau of Recreation and Parks, shall not include contracts, grants or cooperative agreements which do not develop data or information usable by the commission, or which provide goods, services or facilities to the commission or any of its bureaus, and shall exclude any monies for special interest groups for purposes of lobbying or otherwise promoting their special interests; * * * and
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33	33	(f) To discharge such other duties, responsibilities and powers as are necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter * * *.; and
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35	35	(g) To regulate placement of large solar panels, pursuant to Section 1 of this act.
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37	37	(2) The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology and Energy Resources shall be responsible for program management, procurement, development and maintenance of the Mississippi Digital Earth Model, which should include the following seven (7) core data layers of a digital land base computer model of the State of Mississippi:
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39	39	(a) Geodetic control;
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41	41	(b) Elevation and bathymetry;
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43	43	(c) Orthoimagery;
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45	45	(d) Hydrography;
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47	47	(e) Transportation;
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49	49	(f) Government boundaries; and
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51	51	(g) Cadastral. With respect to the cadastral layer, the authority and responsibility of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology and Energy Resources shall be limited to compiling information submitted by counties.
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53	53	For all seven (7) framework layers, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology and Energy Resources shall be the integrator of data from all sources and the guarantor of data completeness and consistency and shall administer the council's policies and standards for the procurement of remote sensing and geographic information system data by state and local governmental entities.
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55	55	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.