(a) There is hereby created a Conservation Officers’ Reserve Unit, hereinafter termed “the reserve,” to assist the conservation officers in the performance of their duties. The reserve shall consist of volunteers who are approved by the chief law enforcement officer of the department or his designated representative, and the members of the reserve shall serve without pay. Reserve officers shall be in such numbers as determined by the enforcement needs, with the maximum strength of reserve officers limited to the same number as conservation officers.

(b) In order to be eligible for membership in the reserve, an applicant must be twenty-one (21) years of age, be a high school graduate or its equivalent, be in good physical condition, have a Mississippi driver’s license, be in good standing with the community, be available for training and duty, not be a member of any police, auxiliary police, civil defense, or private security agency, have never been convicted of a felony, and have one (1) of the following:

(i) An honorable discharge or honorable separation certificate from one (1) of the United States military services;

(ii) Three (3) years of responsible post-high school work experience that required the ability to deal effectively with individuals and groups of persons;

(iii) Successful completion of sixty (60) semester hours at an accredited college or university; or

(iv) Such qualifications as are outlined in this section for enforcement officers.

Members of the immediate family of conservation officers shall not be eligible for the reserve unless a special waiver is granted by the commission.

Upon acceptance into the reserve, members shall receive a temporary appointment for one (1) year. During this year of temporary status, members must successfully complete the required training and must qualify on the same firearms course as conservation officers.

(c) The reserve shall be under the leadership and direction of the chief law enforcement officer, who may designate a conservation officer to coordinate the actions of the reserve. The training of the reserve shall be conducted by a conservation officer. The reserve shall meet at least once each month for the purpose of training and transacting such business as may come before it. The chief law enforcement officer shall be notified in writing of all meetings of the reserve and the time and place of such meetings shall be recorded with the chief law enforcement officer. The chief law enforcement officer shall prepare a reserve officer’s manual with the advice and consent of the commission. The manual shall include, but is not limited to, the following: activities and operations, training, administration and duties. During active service, the reserve shall be under the direction of the chief law enforcement officer or his designated representative. When a reserve officer is on active duty and assigned to a specific conservation officer, he shall be under the direct supervision of that officer. Reserve officers serve at the discretion of the chief law enforcement officer and may be dismissed by him or by a board of inquiry appointed by the commission. Reserve officers shall furnish their own uniforms and other personal equipment if the commission does not provide such items.

(d) The commission may, by regulation, require members of the Conservation Officers’ Reserve Unit to attend officer reserve training programs conducted by county or municipal agencies or at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy at the expense of the commission if the commission deems such training necessary or desirable.

(e) The commission may issue uniforms to such reserve officers and may authorize the issuance of any state equipment necessary for the reserve officers to adequately assist law enforcement officers. The commission is authorized to develop a reserve officer identification system to accomplish the issuance of such items in accordance with the State Auditor guidelines.

(f) In the event the commission shall determine that a member of the Conservation Officers’ Reserve Unit may attend a training program as authorized under the provisions of this section, the commission shall require that any such reserve officer shall sign an agreement, prior to attending a training program, which shall stipulate that if the reserve officer accepts employment from any other public or private law enforcement agency within three (3) years after completion of his training program, the reserve officer or the respective hiring law enforcement agency shall reimburse the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for the total cost of his training program. By October 1 of each year, the department shall provide the Game and Fish Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Wildlife and Marine Resources Committee of the Mississippi Senate a listing which contains each name and the respective cost of training each reserve officer received during the previous year.