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Section 93-21-33 – Domestic Violence Task Force created; membership, duties and responsibilities

May 13, 2021 | Family Law, Mississippi

(1) There is established the Domestic Violence Task Force, which will be made up of not more than twenty-six (26) members as follows:

(a) The Governor shall appoint the following appointees who shall possess a practicing knowledge of domestic violence as follows:

(i) Four (4) executive directors of domestic violence shelters representing the geographical divisions of the Delta, South, Central and North Mississippi;
(ii) Two (2) batterer’s intervention program managers;
(b) The Attorney General, or his designee;
(c) The State Auditor, or his designee;
(d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Police Chiefs, or his designee;
(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Prosecutor’s Association, or his designee;
(f) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Sheriff’s Association, or his designee;
(g) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Judicial College, or his or her designee;
(h) A practicing member of the Mississippi State Medical Association appointed by the Governor;
(i) A seated or retired justice court judge appointed by the Governor;
(j) A seated or retired chancery court judge appointed by the Governor;
(k) A seated or retired municipal court judge appointed by the Governor;
(l) A seated or retired county court judge appointed by the Governor;
(m) One (1) licensed social worker appointed by the Governor;
(n) One (1) attorney with lobbying experience appointed by the Governor;
(o) Two (2) victims of domestic violence appointed by the Governor;
(p) One (1) practicing municipal prosecutor appointed by the Governor;
(q) One (1) member of the faith-based community to be appointed by the Governor;
(r) One (1) statistical expert appointed by the Governor;
(s) One (1) information technology professional appointed by the Governor; and
(t) The Director of the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, or her designee.

The members of the task force shall serve at the pleasure of their respective appointing authorities; ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The members shall elect a chairman and committees whose duties shall be established by the task force.

(2) The Chairmen of the House Public Health and Welfare Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, or their designees, two (2) members of the State Senate appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and one (1) member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, shall serve as ex officio nonvoting members of the task force.
(3) In addition to the committee members required by subsection (2), the task force shall consist of such other members as are necessary to meet the requirements of any federal regulation applicable to the task force.
(4) The chairman of the task force shall be elected by the voting members of the committee annually and shall not serve more than two (2) consecutive years as chairman. The chair shall call the meetings of the task force.
(5) The members of the task force shall serve without compensation.
(6) The task force shall meet not less than quarterly, and task force members shall be furnished written notice of the meetings at least ten (10) days before the date of the meeting. The first meeting of the task force shall be called by the Governor within sixty (60) days of March 20, 2013.
(7) The task force shall provide recommendations and advice regarding the following:

(a) Streamlining funding to domestic violence shelters resulting in uniform and objective funding and auditing standards;
(b) Providing recommendations regarding the Victims of Domestic Violence Fund under Section 93-21-117 and its disbursement to shelters;
(c) Considering the impact, definition, funding and certification of batterer intervention programs;
(d) Creating standards for confidentiality of client records;
(e) Updating training requirements for grant monitors, law enforcement and court personnel;
(f) Providing uniform reporting and automation options;
(g) Implementing the formation of a domestic violence commission with the charge of executing recommendations made by this task force;
(h) Recommending whether the administration of federal grant funds, including, but not limited to, the grant funds known as VOCA and VOWA, should be relocated to the Office Against Interpersonal Violence under the umbrella of the Department of Health.
(8) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) will provide support and recommendations to the task force.
(9)

(a) The task force will develop a report with legislative recommendations to the Governor and to the 2014 Regular Session of the Legislature to be submitted no later than October 1, 2013.
(b) The task force will develop an additional report with legislative recommendations to the Governor and to the 2015 Regular Session of the Legislature to be submitted no later than October 15, 2014.
(c) The task force shall stand dissolved on December 31, 2014.

Miss. Code ยง 93-21-33

Amended by Laws, 2014, ch. 509, HB 1030, 9, eff. 4/23/2014.
Added by Laws, 2013, ch. 395, SB 2631, 1, eff. 3/20/2013.