MS SB2579

Amends Mississippi Code Section 49-15-11 to authorize the Executive Director of the Department of Marine Resources to internally reorganize the department and exempts personnel actions from State Personnel Board rules for six (6) months after passage.

Establishes five offices within the Department of Marine Resources: Office of Coastal Resources Management, Office of Finance and Administration, Office of Marine Fisheries, Office of Marine Patrol, and Office of Coastal Restoration and Resiliency.

Requires appointment of three key positions by the executive director: Chief Financial Officer (minimum Master's degree in Business Administration/Accounting and 5 years' experience), Chief of Marine Patrol (certified law enforcement officer with 10 years' experience), and Chief Scientific Officer (minimum Master's degree in Coastal Sciences and 5 years' coastal resource management experience).

Mandates the executive director conduct annual independent audits of the Department of Marine Resources and file audit reports with the commission, relevant legislative committee chairs, the State Auditor, and the Legislative Budget Office.

Updates terminology so references to "Mississippi Marine Conservation Commission," "Marine Conservation Commission," "Bureau of Marine Resources," and "Mississippi Marine Resources Council" in state law mean the "Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources."