Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 45 - PUBLIC SAFETY AND GOOD ORDER (§§ 45-NEW-NEW — 45-51-NEW-006) › Chapter 2 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS DEATH AND DISABILITY BENEFITS TRUST FUNDS (§§ 45-2-NEW — 45-2-41) › Article 4 - MISSISSIPPI LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE FIGHTERS PREMIUM PAY PROGRAM (§ 45-2-41) › Section 45-2-41 - Mississippi Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Premium Pay Program created; funding; eligibility; distribution of monies

(1)
There is created the "Mississippi Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Premium Pay Program," which shall be administered by the Department of Public Safety to provide premium pay to those law enforcement officers and firefighters in the State of Mississippi as provided for in subsection (2) of this section. Monies disbursed by the Department of Public Safety under this section shall be disbursed in compliance with all requirements and/or conditions on funds appropriated from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund for the program established under this section.
(2)
The program shall be funded from monies appropriated by the Legislature from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund for that purpose. The Department of Public Safety shall distribute the monies for the program in accordance with the following:
(a)
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of premium pay shall be paid to each eligible individual, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (2).
(b)
Eligible individuals are all certified, full-time and part-time law enforcement officers and certified, full-time and part-time firefighters who are serving in the State of Mississippi on July 1, 2022, except those excluded under paragraph (c) of this subsection (2). If a person is an eligible individual in more than one (1) position covered under this paragraph, that person shall only be eligible for one (1) payment of premium pay under paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(c)
Any law enforcement officer who received hazard pay from the Governor's discretionary funds authorized by the Legislature from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act is not eligible to receive monies under this section.
(d)
(i)
Any law enforcement officer or firefighter who received One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more of premium pay from the county, municipality or other governmental entity that employed them from funds received under the federal American Rescue Plan Act is not eligible to receive monies under this section.
(ii)
Any law enforcement officer or firefighter who received less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of premium pay from the county, municipality or other governmental entity that employed the officer or firefighter from funds received under the federal American Rescue Plan Act is eligible to receive from the monies under this section the difference between the amount of premium pay received from their employer and One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).
(e)
The department also shall distribute monies to counties, municipalities and other governmental entities that, before July 1, 2022, paid premium pay to law enforcement officers and firefighters employed by them from funds received under the federal American Rescue Plan Act, to reimburse those governmental entities for not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of the amount of premium pay that the governmental entity paid to each recipient.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 469, SB 2444,§ 4, eff. 4/14/2023.
Added by Laws, 2022, ch. 492, HB 1427,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2022.