Bill > HB159

This bill establishes the "Public Safety for Public Property Act," which comprehensively regulates camping on public property in Mississippi by defining key terms like "camp," "campsite," and "camping materials" and prohibiting individuals from sleeping or setting up campsites on public sidewalks, streets, alleys, and other public passageways. The legislation stems from legislative findings that camping on public property creates safety risks, causes sanitation problems, increases municipal cleaning costs, and negatively impacts tourism and economic development. Under the bill, law enforcement can immediately remove individuals found camping on public property, and authorities are authorized to discard unsanitary items or store personal property for up to 30 days. Violations are punishable by a fine of up to $50, with the court encouraged to consider mitigating factors such as the individual's efforts to clean up their campsite or engage with service providers to address underlying issues. The bill also amends existing trespassing and obstruction of public spaces statutes to align with these new camping regulations, and it will take effect on July 1, 2025, providing municipalities and counties time to prepare for implementation.

Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB0159.xml