F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 573 2024
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 reports; 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
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26 intends to address this crisis by providing cities, c ounties,
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 at the state and local level.
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
38 September 1, 2024, and shall be composed of 16 members. Five
39 members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, five
40 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
41 Representatives, and five members shall be appointed by the
42 Governor. The chair of the Florida Council on the Social Status
43 of Black Men and Boys, or his or her designee, shall serve as a
44 member of the task force. From the members of the task force,
45 the Governor shall appoint the chair. Appointments must be made
46 by August 1, 2024. The executive director of the Department of
47 Law Enforcement, the Secretary of Juvenile Justice, and the
48 Secretary of Children and Families shall serve as ex-officio and
49 nonvoting members of the task force. Members shall serve at the
50 pleasure of the officer who appointed the member. A vacancy on
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51 the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the
52 original appointment.
53 (b) The General Counsel of the Department of Law
54 Enforcement shall serve as the general counsel for the task
55 force.
56 (c) The Department of Law Enforcement staff and the
57 Department of Juvenile Justice staff, as assigned by the chair,
58 shall assist the task force in performing its duties.
59 (d) The task force shall meet on a quarterly basis or as
60 necessary to conduct its work at the call of the chair and at a
61 time designated by the chair at locations throughout the state.
62 The task force may not conduct its meetings through
63 teleconferences or other similar means.
64 (e) Members of the task force are entitled to receive
65 reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s.
66 112.061, Florida Statutes.
67 (3) The task force shall investigate system failures and
68 the causes and reasons for high crime and gun violence incidents
69 in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities. In
70 addition, the task force shall develop recommendations for
71 solutions, programs, services, and strategies for improved
72 interagency communications between local and state government
73 agencies that will help facilitate the reduction of crime and
74 gun violence in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and
75 communities.
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76 (4) The task force has the power to investigate. The task
77 force may delegate to its investigators the authority to
78 administer oaths and affirmations.
79 (5) The executive director of the Department of Law
80 Enforcement shall issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of
81 witnesses to testify before the task force and the production of
82 any books, papers, records, documentary evidence, and other
83 items, including exempt or confidential and exempt information
84 or records, relevant to the performance of its duties or to the
85 exercise of its powers. The chair of the task force, or his or
86 her designee, may administer all oaths and affirmations in the
87 manner prescribed by law to witnesses who appear before the task
88 force for the purpose of testifying in any matter of which the
89 task force desires evidence. In the case of a refusal to obey a
90 subpoena, the task force may make application to any circuit
91 court of this state having jurisdiction to order the witness to
92 appear before the task force and to produce evidence, if so
93 ordered, or to give testimony relevant to the matter in
94 question. Failure to obey the order may be punished by the court
95 as contempt.
96 (6) The task force may call upon appropriate state
97 agencies for such professional assistance as may be needed in
98 the discharge of its duties, and such agencies shall provide
99 such assistance in a timely manner.
100 (7) Notwithstanding any other law, the task force may
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101 request and shall be provided with access to any information or
102 records, including exempt or confidential and exempt information
103 or records, which pertain to crime and gun violence incidents in
104 this state's urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities.
105 Information or records obtained by the task force that are
106 otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt shall retain such
107 exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the task force may
108 not disclose any such information or records.
109 (8) The task force shall submit an initial report on its
110 findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of
111 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
112 before January 1, 2026. The task force shall sunset December 31,
113 2025, and this section is repealed on that date.
114 Section 4. For fiscal year 2024-2025, 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 task force.
117 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
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