Bill Text: FL S1676 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Criminal Justice [S1676 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S1676-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1676
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00893-24                                           20241676__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Task Force on Public Safety in
    3         Urban and Inner-City Communities; providing a short
    4         title; providing legislative findings and intent;
    5         creating the Task Force 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 task
   11         force to seek assistance from state agencies and to
   12         access certain exempt or confidential and exempt
   13         information or records; providing requirements for
   14         such access; requiring a report; providing for sunset
   15         of the task force 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  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. Task Force on Public Safety in Urban and Inner
   32  City Communities.—
   33         (1) There is created within the Department of Law
   34  Enforcement the Task Force on Public Safety in Urban and Inner
   35  City Communities, a task force as defined in s. 20.03(5),
   36  Florida Statutes.
   37         (2)(a) The task force shall convene no later than September
   38  1, 2024, 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 Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys,
   43  or his or her designee, shall serve as a member of the task
   44  force. From the members of the task force, the Governor shall
   45  appoint the chair. Appointments must be made by August 1, 2024.
   46  The executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement, the
   47  Secretary of Juvenile Justice, and the Secretary of Children and
   48  Families shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the
   49  task force. Members shall serve at the pleasure of the officer
   50  who appointed the member. A vacancy on the task force 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 task
   54  force.
   55         (c) The Department of Law Enforcement staff and the
   56  Department of Juvenile Justice staff, as assigned by the chair,
   57  shall assist the task force in performing its duties.
   58         (d) The task force 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 task force may not conduct its meetings through
   62  teleconferences or other similar means.
   63         (e) Task force members are entitled to receive
   64  reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s.
   65  112.061, Florida Statutes.
   66         (3) The task force 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 task force shall develop recommendations for
   70  solutions, programs, services, and strategies for improved
   71  interagency communication between local and state governmental
   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 task force has the power to investigate. The task
   76  force 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 task force 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 task force, 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 task
   87  force for the purpose of testifying in any matter of which the
   88  task force desires evidence. In the case of a refusal to obey a
   89  subpoena, the task force may make application to any circuit
   90  court of this state having jurisdiction to order the witness to
   91  appear before the task force and to produce evidence, if so
   92  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 task force 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 task force 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 task force which are
  105  otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt shall retain such
  106  exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the task force may
  107  not disclose any such information or records.
  108         (8) The task force shall submit a report on its findings
  109  and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the
  110  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives before
  111  January 1, 2026. The task force shall sunset December 31, 2025,
  112  and this section is repealed on that date.
  113         Section 4. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of
  114  $600,000 is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the
  115  Department of Law Enforcement for the operation of the task
  116  force.
  117         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.