Florida Senate - 2024 SB 744



By Senator Powell





24-00742-24 2024744__
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 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. 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 Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, or his
43 or her designee, shall serve as a member of the task force. From
44 the members of the task force, the Governor shall appoint the
45 chair. Appointments must be made by August 1, 2024. 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, nonvoting members of the task force.
49 Members shall serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed
50 the member. A vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the
51 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) Members of the task force 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 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 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 in 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 must 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 by
111 December 31, 2025. The task force shall sunset January 1, 2026,
112 and this section is repealed on that date.
113 Section 4. For fiscal year 2024-2025, the sum of $600,000
114 is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department
115 of Law Enforcement for the operations of the task force.
116 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.