Bill Text: FL S1464 | 2023 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2023-05-05 - Died in Criminal Justice [S1464 Detail]

Download: Florida-2023-S1464-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2023                                    SB 1464
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       24-01310-23                                           20231464__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Commission on Public Safety in
    3         Urban and Inner-City Communities; providing a short
    4         title; providing legislative findings and intent;
    5         creating the Commission on Public Safety in Urban and
    6         Inner-City Communities; providing for membership and
    7         staff support; providing requirements for meetings;
    8         specifying duties; providing for powers; requiring the
    9         executive director of the Department of Law
   10         Enforcement to issue subpoenas; authorizing the
   11         commission to seek assistance from state agencies and
   12         to access certain exempt or confidential and exempt
   13         information or records; providing requirements for
   14         such access; requiring reports; providing for sunset
   15         of the commission and the repeal of provisions;
   16         providing an appropriation; providing an effective
   17         date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Public Safety in
   22  Urban and Inner-City Communities Act.”
   23         Section 2. The Legislature finds that there is a need to
   24  comprehensively address the crisis of crime and gun violence in
   25  Florida’s urban and inner-city communities. The Legislature
   26  intends to address this crisis by providing cities, counties,
   27  and local and state law enforcement agencies and the courts with
   28  the tools to enhance and promote safe neighborhoods and
   29  communities by enhanced coordination between local and state law
   30  enforcement entities.
   31         Section 3. Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner
   32  City Communities.—
   33         (1) There is created within the Department of Law
   34  Enforcement the Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner
   35  City Communities, a commission as defined in s. 20.03(10),
   36  Florida Statutes.
   37         (2)(a) The commission shall convene no later than September
   38  1, 2023, and shall be composed of 16 members. Five members shall
   39  be appointed by the President of the Senate, five members shall
   40  be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
   41  five members shall be appointed by the Governor. The chair of
   42  the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, or his
   43  or her designee, shall serve as a member of the commission. From
   44  the members of the commission, the Governor shall appoint the
   45  chair. Appointments must be made by August 1, 2023. The
   46  Commissioner of the Department of Law Enforcement, the Secretary
   47  of Juvenile Justice, and the Secretary of Children and Families
   48  shall serve as ex-officio and nonvoting members of the
   49  commission. Members shall serve at the pleasure of the officer
   50  who appointed the member. A vacancy on the commission shall be
   51  filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
   52         (b) The General Counsel of the Department of Law
   53  Enforcement shall serve as the general counsel for the
   54  commission.
   55         (c) Department of Law Enforcement staff and Department of
   56  Juvenile Justice staff, as assigned by the chair, shall assist
   57  the commission in performing its duties.
   58         (d) The commission shall meet on a quarterly basis or as
   59  necessary to conduct its work at the call of the chair and at a
   60  time designated by the chair at locations throughout the state.
   61  The commission may not conduct its meetings through
   62  teleconferences or other similar means.
   63         (e) Members of the commission are entitled to receive
   64  reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s.
   65  112.061, Florida Statutes.
   66         (3) The commission shall investigate system failures and
   67  the causes and reasons for high crime and gun violence incidents
   68  in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities. In
   69  addition, the commission shall develop recommendations for
   70  solutions, programs, services, and strategies for improved
   71  interagency communications between local and state government
   72  agencies that will help facilitate the reduction of crime and
   73  gun violence in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and
   74  communities.
   75         (4) The commission has the power to investigate. The
   76  commission may delegate to its investigators the authority to
   77  administer oaths and affirmations.
   78         (5) The executive director of the Department of Law
   79  Enforcement shall issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of
   80  witnesses to testify before the commission and the production of
   81  any books, papers, records, documentary evidence, and other
   82  items, including exempt or confidential and exempt information
   83  or records, relevant to the performance of its duties or to the
   84  exercise of its powers. The chair of the commission, or his or
   85  her designee, may administer all oaths and affirmations in the
   86  manner prescribed by law to witnesses who appear before the
   87  commission for the purpose of testifying in any matter of which
   88  the commission desires evidence. In the case of a refusal to
   89  obey a subpoena, the commission may make application to any
   90  circuit court of this state having jurisdiction to order the
   91  witness to appear before the commission and to produce evidence,
   92  if so ordered, or to give testimony relevant to the matter in
   93  question. Failure to obey the order may be punished by the court
   94  as contempt.
   95         (6) The commission may call upon appropriate state agencies
   96  for such professional assistance as may be needed in the
   97  discharge of its duties, and such agencies shall provide such
   98  assistance in a timely manner.
   99         (7) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may
  100  request and shall be provided with access to any information or
  101  records, including exempt or confidential and exempt information
  102  or records, which pertain to crime and gun violence incidents in
  103  this state’s urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities.
  104  Information or records obtained by the commission that are
  105  otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt shall retain such
  106  exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the commission may
  107  not disclose any such information or records.
  108         (8) The commission shall submit an initial report on its
  109  findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of
  110  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by
  111  January 1, 2025, and may issue reports annually thereafter. The
  112  commission shall sunset December 31, 2024, and this section is
  113  repealed on that date.
  114         Section 4. For fiscal year 2023-2024, the sum of $600,000
  115  is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department
  116  of Law Enforcement for the operations of the commission.
  117         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.