Bill > HB1243

This bill, titled "Oyster bottoms; bring forward code sections related to," proposes to reintroduce and make available for potential amendment several sections of the Mississippi Code of 1972, primarily concerning the regulation of marine resources, including oysters, and mineral leasing on state lands. The bill consolidates various provisions related to the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), which is responsible for managing seafood, oyster beds, and artificial reefs, including defining terms like "commission" (Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources) and "department" (DMR), establishing ownership of seafood and oyster beds as state property, outlining riparian rights for oyster cultivation, and detailing the powers and duties of the DMR in regulating seafood, setting fishing seasons, and managing seafood sanitation. It also addresses the leasing of submerged lands for oyster cultivation, specifying requirements for lessees, lease terms, rental rates, and penalties for non-compliance, and includes provisions for licensing commercial fishing vessels and aquaculture operations, as well as fees for recreational oyster permits and shell retention. Furthermore, the bill touches upon mineral leasing on state lands, outlining procedures and restrictions for oil, gas, and other mineral extraction, and includes a section on the Lower Pearl River Restoration Project, detailing the management and funding of its maintenance.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1243.xml