CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 1743
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1743
By Representative Clemons
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to civil justice reform;
3 creating s. 240.385, F.S.; creating the Public
4 Perspective Study Unit for Civil Justice Reform
5 within the Supreme Court; prescribing
6 responsibilities and mission of the study unit
7 and guidelines with respect to public forums on
8 civil justice reform; requiring a report to the
9 Legislature; providing an effective date.
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11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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13 Section 1. Section 240.385, Florida Statutes, is
14 created to read:
15 240.385 Public Perspective Study Unit for Civil
16 Justice; reform; creation.--
17 (1) CREATION.--There is created a Public Perspective
18 Study Unit for Civil Justice Reform within the Supreme Court.
19 (2) MISSION; RESPONSIBILITIES.--The mission of the
20 study unit shall be to seek public input on whether and by
21 what means this state might reform the civil justice system
22 through engaging the public in policy choices. To that end,
23 the study unit shall contract with the Charles Kettering
24 Foundation to:
25 (a) Conduct statewide polling;
26 (b) Conduct focus groups; and
27 (c) Conduct public forums throughout this state
28 utilizing the State Community College System. The public
29 forums shall be organized through a Citizen Leadership
30 Institute, or similar community-college based public policy
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Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1743
279-148A-97
1 program, for public deliberation of reform proposals pursuant
2 to the following guidelines:
3 1. The public forums shall be designed to elicit
4 public input on policy choices related to civil justice
5 reform. Citizens shall be invited by their respective
6 community colleges to consider approaches to civil justice
7 reform and to weigh the pros and cons of various approaches to
8 civil justice reform. Members of the Legislature shall be
9 invited to attend the public forums in their respective
10 districts. The outcomes of discussions shall be recorded and
11 provided to the Legislature for consideration in policy
12 formulation.
13 2. Community colleges shall perform a convening
14 function for the forum. Those community colleges hosting
15 forums will utilize college and community resource persons who
16 are trained in the acclaimed Charles Kettering Foundation's
17 National Issues Forum format and its moderating and
18 consensus-synthesizing style.
19 (3) REPORT.--The study unit shall submit a report
20 summarizing relevant data compiled pursuant to subsection (2)
21 to the Supreme Court, the President of the Senate, and the
22 Speaker of the House of Representatives on or no later than
23 February 1, 1998. The Legislature does not intend for the
24 study unit to present substantive policy recommendations with
25 respect to civil justice reform in this report, but instead
26 specifically intends to limit the scope of the report to data
27 description and analysis.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1743
279-148A-97
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2 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Creates the Public Perspective Study Unit for Civil
4 Justice Reform within the Supreme Court. Prescribes
responsibilities and mission of the study unit and
5 guidelines with respect to public forums on civil justice
reform. Requires a report to the Legislature.
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