Bill > HB970

This bill expands the authority of municipalities and counties in Mississippi to address properties that pose a threat to public health, safety, and welfare, specifically by including properties with a "riparian owner" in this definition. A riparian owner is someone who owns land adjacent to a body of water. The bill allows local governing authorities, such as city councils and county boards of supervisors, to determine if such properties are a menace and, if so, to clean them up. This cleanup can include removing debris, securing dilapidated structures, and for riparian properties, addressing abandoned vessels or hazardous obstructions in the water. If the property owner fails to clean the property themselves after proper notification and a hearing, the municipality or county can perform the cleanup and then assess the costs, along with a penalty of up to $1,500 or 50% of the cleanup cost (whichever is greater), against the property owner or as a lien on the property. The bill also clarifies procedures for repeated cleanups and for addressing neglected perpetual care cemeteries, allowing for reimbursement from cemetery trust funds under certain conditions.

Government Affairs

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0970.xml