Motor vehicle registration; parts dealers and scrap metal processors may use third-party vendors meeting DOR requirements., the official text

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2026 Regular Session

To: Finance

By: Senator(s) Harkins

Senate Bill 2835

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-21-18, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972,
TO ALLOW USED MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS DEALERS AND SCRAP METAL PROCESSORS TO USE
THIRD-PARTY VENDORS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, AS
AN ALTERNATIVE TO USING THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE'S AUTOMATED STATEWIDE MOTOR
VEHICLE REGISTRATION SYSTEM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPLYING WITH THEIR DUTY TO
VERIFY THE ABSENCE OF ANY LIEN ON A MOTOR VEHICLE BEFORE IT MAY BE PURCHASED OR
RECEIVED FOR SCRAPPING, DISMANTLING OR DESTRUCTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1.  Section
63-21-18, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

63-21-18.  The Mississippi
Department of Information Technology Services shall provide equipment for the
operation and maintenance of the automated statewide motor vehicle,
manufactured housing and mobile home registration system by the department.

The automated statewide
motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home registration system shall
provide for computer terminals and printers, as authorized by the Department of
Information Technology Services, to be located in the quantity necessary in
each county seat tax collector's office and any other office in which more than
fifty percent (50%) of the motor vehicle registrations in the county are made.

All county tax collectors
shall participate in such system as it applies to Chapter 19, Title 27; Chapter
51, Title 27; Chapter 21, Title 63; Mississippi Code of 1972, in accordance
with rules and regulations promulgated by the department.  Such rules and
regulations shall provide that counties which have an existing computer system
designed to produce registration data may elect to use such existing system to
communicate title/registration data to the department through the computer
furnished by the state as hereinabove provided in this section.  If the
department finds and determines that a county has failed to successfully
establish or update title/registration data into the statewide vehicle,
manufactured housing and mobile home title/registration system, either through
use of equipment supplied by the department or through the interfacing between
the network system and county computer equipment, the department shall
thereafter cause to be withheld the county's homestead exemption reimbursement
monies, except for school districts and municipalities, until such time as the
county has complied with this provision.  Such monies as are withheld from a
county for failure to comply with this provision shall be placed into a special
escrow account to be established in the State Treasury.  Once the county
achieves compliance by successfully establishing or updating title/registration
data into the statewide vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title/registration
system, then the department shall cause to be released to the county all funds
held in escrow on the county's behalf during the period of noncompliance.  All
interest earned shall accrue to the benefit of the county on any funds placed in
an escrow account.  Any cost involved in interfacing between existing county
computer systems and the state-provided computer shall be paid by the county.

The computer terminals and
printers placed in each county tax collector's office may be utilized to
provide additional computer functions as authorized by the Department of
Information Technology Services.

The State Fiscal Officer
shall issue his warrants to the State Treasurer for the expenditures for the
implementation and maintenance of the system upon requisitions signed by the
Commissioner of Revenue, as authorized by the Legislature.

It is the intent of the
Legislature that the operation of the statewide motor vehicle, manufactured
housing and mobile home title registration system shall be the responsibility
of the department.

The department shall provide
for the transfer of motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title
and lien registration information to the department by electronic means from
banks and other lending institutions as provided in Section 63-21-18.  The
Department of Information Technology Services shall cooperate with the
department in implementing the provisions of Section 63-21-18, and shall
provide the department with whatever assistance the department needs to carry
out the provisions of Section 63-21-18.

A used motor vehicle parts
dealer or scrap metal processor must utilize the department's automated
statewide motor vehicle registration system, or a third-party vendor that
meets the requirements of the department, for the purpose of complying with
the requirements of Section 63-21-39(1)(a).

SECTION 2.  This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.