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 495 2023
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 authorizing positions and providing an appropriation;
17 providing an effective 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, 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 at the state and local level.
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
38 September 1, 2023, 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 Council on the Social Status of Black
43 Men and Boys, or his or her designee, shall serve as a member of
44 the commission. From the members of the commission, the Governor
45 shall appoint the chair. Appointments must be made by August 1,
46 2023. The Commissioner 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 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
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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) The Department of Law Enforcement staff and the
56 Department of Juvenile Justice staff, as assigned by the chair,
57 shall assist 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 i ncidents
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
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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 othe r
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
96 agencies for such professional assistance as may be needed in
97 the discharge of its duties, and such agencies shall provide
98 such 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
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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.
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