Florida Senate - 2024 SB 746



By Senator Powell





24-00743-24 2024746__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public meetings; providing an
3 exemption from public meetings requirements for
4 portions of meetings of the Task Force on Public
5 Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities at which
6 exempt or confidential and exempt information is
7 discussed; providing for expiration; providing a
8 statement of public necessity; providing a contingent
9 effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Any portion of a meeting of the Task Force on
14 Public Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities, as created by
15 SB ____, 2024 Regular Session, or similar legislation, at which
16 exempt or confidential and exempt information is discussed is
17 exempt from s. 286.011, Florida Statutes, and s. 24(b), Article
18 I of the State Constitution. This section expires January 1,
19 2026, upon the dissolution of the task force.
20 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
21 necessity that any portion of a meeting of the Task Force on
22 Public Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities at which
23 exempt or confidential and exempt information is discussed be
24 made exempt from s. 286.011, Florida Statutes, and s. 24(b),
25 Article I of the State Constitution. The purpose of the task
26 force is to investigate system failures and the causes and
27 reasons for high crime and gun violence incidents in urban and
28 inner-city neighborhoods and communities and to develop
29 recommendations for system improvements. In order to fulfill its
30 directive, the task force must be able to discuss exempt or
31 confidential and exempt information that it receives as part of
32 its investigation. The public meetings exemption will allow the
33 task force to review and discuss exempt or confidential and
34 exempt information that will be useful in forming meaningful
35 recommendations for system improvements. As such, it is a
36 necessity that those portions of meetings at which exempt or
37 confidential and exempt information is discussed be made exempt
38 from public meetings requirements. If such portions of those
39 meetings are not closed, the public records exemption would be
40 negated. Thus, the Legislature finds that the public meetings
41 exemption is a public necessity in order to ensure the effective
42 and efficient administration of the Task Force on Public Safety
43 in Urban and Inner-City Communities.
44 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
45 SB ____ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
46 is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
47 thereof and becomes a law.