Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1464
By Senator Powell
24-01310-23 20231464__
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 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. 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 September
38 1, 2023, 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 commission. From
44 the members of the commission, the Governor shall appoint the
45 chair. Appointments must be made by August 1, 2023. 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 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
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) Department of Law Enforcement staff and Department of
56 Juvenile Justice staff, as assigned by the chair, shall assist
57 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 incidents
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
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 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 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 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 commission 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 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.