The State Highway Commission is authorized to contract with the Department of Economic and Community Development, on terms and conditions agreeable between the two (2) state agencies, for the operation of one or more of such hospitality stations constructed under the provisions of this chapter. The commission and the department are further authorized to enter into agreement with an adjoining state for the operation of a hospitality station on an interstate highway where the states’ boundary is the Mississippi River and there is no feasible location for a hospitality station between the bank of the Mississippi River and a national military park in the State of Mississippi, or where the states’ boundary is the Pearl River and there is no feasible location for a hospitality station between the bank of the Pearl River and the buffer zone to a test facility operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the State of Mississippi. The commission and the department are authorized to pay whatever expenses may be agreed upon between the two (2) states as to the fair share of the operating and maintenance cost of the hospitality station operated primarily for the benefit of the state. Such contracts and agreements shall provide for the furnishing of suitable personnel for the operation of such stations and that such stations shall be kept supplied with such information, pamphlets and other materials as will advertise and publicize the history, commerce, industry, natural resources and tourist attractions of this state. Such information, pamphlets and other materials shall be available to the traveling public and shall be distributed by the personnel employed to operate such stations. The agency operating such hospitality stations shall provide for the free distribution to the traveling public of such literature, pamphlets, refreshments and other items that may be of interest to tourists in such manner as deemed to be in the best interest of promoting the tourist trade in this state. Such agency may sell, or contract for the sale of, merchandise on the premises of any hospitality station, provided such sale or contract for sale is subject to any applicable federal laws and Section 43-3-93. Revenue derived from such sales shall be paid into the special revolving fund established pursuant to Section 57-1-66 and shall be expended to promote and market Mississippi and to maintain and improve hospitality stations.
