Section 49-15-17 - Seafood Fund; special accounts; sources of funds(1)(a) All monies received or obtained by the department under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid over by the department to the State Treasurer and shall be deposited into the fund known as the "Seafood Fund." All revenues collected through the department, to include, but not limited to, commercial saltwater licenses and taxes, permits, fines and penalties, and confiscated catches, shall be deposited into the department operating account (Seafood Fund) and expended for the operation of the department, as authorized by the Legislature.(b) There is established a special account to be known as the "Artificial Reef Program Account" within the Seafood Fund. Any funds received from any public or private source for the purpose of promoting, constructing, monitoring or maintaining artificial reefs in the marine waters of the state or in federal waters adjacent to the marine waters of the state shall be credited to the account. Any unexpended funds remaining in the account at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the Seafood Fund, but shall remain in the account. The department may expend any funds in the account, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, to accomplish the purpose of the account.(c) There is established a special account to be known as the "Coastal Preserve Account" within the Seafood Fund. Any funds received from any public or private source for the purpose of management, improvement and acquisition of coastal preserves in the state and money required to be deposited pursuant to Sections 27-19-56.10 and 27-19-56.27, shall be credited to the account. Any unexpended funds remaining in the account at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the Seafood Fund, but shall remain in the account. The department may expend any funds in the account, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, for the management, improvement and acquisition of coastal preserves.(d) There is established a special account to be known as the "Mississippi Seafood Marketing Program Account" within the Seafood Fund. Monies required to be deposited into the account under Section 27-19-56.27 and any funds received from any public or private source for the purpose of promoting the Mississippi seafood industry must be credited to the account. Any unexpended funds remaining in the account at the end of the fiscal year do not lapse into the Seafood Fund, but remain in the account. The department may expend any funds in the account, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, to accomplish the purposes of this account, including, but not limited to, providing funds for cobia stock enhancement programs.(e) There is established a special account to be known as the "Oyster Production Preserve Account" within the Seafood Fund. Monies required to be deposited from oyster leasing and licensing payments under Section 49-15-27, sack fees, and any funds received from any public or private source for the purpose of oyster production and propagation in this state, which includes plantings of oysters and cultch materials, shall be credited to the account. Any unexpended funds remaining in the account at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the Seafood Fund, but shall remain in the account. The department may expend any funds in the account, subject to specific appropriation by the Legislature, for the management, improvement and acquisition of permittable property for oyster production and propagation in the state, which includes plantings of oysters and cultch materials. The Department of Marine Resources shall develop an annual report to the Legislature which describes the annual expenditures from this fund for the purpose of furthering oyster production and propagation in this state to be included in the department's annual budget request to the Legislative Budget Office and to be transmitted to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Ports and Marine Resources.(2) The fund shall be treated as a special trust fund and interest earned on the principal shall be credited to the fund.(3) The department shall keep accurate reports of monies handled as a part of the permanent records of the department, and the State Treasurer shall furnish the department such forms as may be needed, and the department shall account for such forms in reports to the Treasurer.Laws, 1994, ch. 578, § 14; Laws, 1999, ch. 558, § 3; Laws, 2000, ch. 536, § 18; Laws, 2003, ch. 529, § 20; Laws, 2005, ch. 532, § 3; Laws, 2011, ch. 523, § 46, eff. 4/26/2011.Amended by Laws, 2024, ch. 530, SB 2648,§ 1, eff. 5/13/2024.Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 496, SB 2544,§ 6, eff. 4/17/2023.Reenacted without change by Laws, 2013, ch. 560, HB 276, 44, eff. 7/1/2013.