It shall be the duty of the Department of Revenue to call an annual conference of the county tax assessors and collectors. The meeting shall be held within the State of Mississippi for the purpose of giving systematic instruction in finding, listing and for the fair and just valuation and assessment of every kind of property subject to taxation under the laws of this state, and as to their practical duty in every step in connection therewith and for instruction in the administration of the Homestead Exemption Law. The conference shall continue not more than five (5) days. It shall be the duty of every county tax assessor and collector to attend and participate in the meeting and if by reason of illness or other unavoidable cause, any tax assessor or collector is unable to attend, he shall require one (1) of his deputies to attend and participate in his place. The Department of Revenue shall prepare, in advance, subjects for discussion by the conference, which shall include the revenue laws of the state, questions relating to matters of assessment of property for taxation and the duties of the tax assessors and collectors, and the Commissioner of Revenue or his designee shall preside as chairman of the conference and the secretary of the conference shall be appointed by the presiding chairman of the conference. The Department of Revenue may call regional conferences during the year for the aforesaid purposes and it shall be the duty of the tax assessors and collectors, or deputies, to attend and participate in these regional conferences and each tax assessor and collector, or his deputy, who attends and participates in these regional conferences shall be reimbursed for his expenses in the same manner as those attending the annual conference.

Each tax assessor and collector attending and participating in the annual or regional conferences in person, or by deputy, shall be entitled to receive as expenses for attending the conferences, travel, meals, lodging and other necessary expenses at the rate provided for in Section 25-3-41, which expenses shall be paid from the county general fund or proceeds from the levy imposed for the maintenance of the reappraisal program in such county.

The Department of Revenue shall have the authority to prescribe forms and to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

Forms to be used for payment and reimbursement of expenses and forms of certificate of attendance to be furnished the tax assessors and collectors by the Department of Revenue, requisition and expense vouchers to be made on the State Auditor, the entire expense to be paid from the county general fund. The requisition and voucher shall be supported by a certificate of attendance to the conferences from the Department of Revenue before any payment shall be made. A newly elected county tax assessor or collector who has not qualified and taken office shall be entitled to receive the same payment and reimbursement for expenses in attending the conferences as the retiring county tax assessor or collector is entitled to receive.