MS HB1418

Creates the Mississippi Gospel Music Commission to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for gospel music and culture to promote economic development, with a report due to the Governor and Legislature before the 2017 Regular Session.

Commission composition includes directors from the Division of Tourism, Department of Archives and History, Mississippi Arts Commission, Educational Television Authority, Center for the Study of Southern Culture at University of Mississippi, USDA Rural Development, two nonvoting state senators, two nonvoting representatives, and six gubernatorial appointees.

Commission shall inventory gospel music assets, coordinate with state agencies and institutions, identify gospel music historic properties for National Register eligibility, and oversee development of the Mississippi Gospel Music Trail infrastructure.

Directs the Division of Tourism of the Mississippi Development Authority to establish a statewide "Gospel Music Trail" offering structured tours of gospel music historical sites and performance venues.

Authorizes the Division of Tourism to designate sites and purchase historical markers for the Gospel Music Trail, with the Department of Transportation responsible for erecting and maintaining the markers.