| 1 | The Health & Families Council recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to the social status of black men and |
| 7 | boys; creating the Council on the Social Status of Black |
| 8 | Men and Boys; providing for the appointment and |
| 9 | qualification of members; providing for the appointment of |
| 10 | members to fill vacant positions; requiring the council to |
| 11 | make a systematic study of conditions affecting black men |
| 12 | and boys; requiring the Office of the Attorney General to |
| 13 | provide administrative support; requiring the council to |
| 14 | submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature; |
| 15 | providing for reimbursement for per diem and travel |
| 16 | expenses; providing that the council and any subcommittees |
| 17 | it forms are subject to public records and meetings |
| 18 | requirements; providing financial disclosure requirements |
| 19 | for council members; requiring the Attorney General to |
| 20 | organize the initial meeting of the council; providing for |
| 21 | the expiration of the council; providing an effective |
| 22 | date. |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Section 1. Council on the Social Status of Black Men and |
| 27 | Boys.-- |
| 28 | (1) The Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys |
| 29 | is established within the Department of Legal Affairs and shall |
| 30 | consist of 19 members appointed as follows: |
| 31 | (a) Two members of the Senate who are not members of the |
| 32 | same political party, appointed by the President of the Senate |
| 33 | with the advice of the Minority Leader of the Senate. |
| 34 | (b) Two members of the House of Representatives who are |
| 35 | not members of the same political party, appointed by the |
| 36 | Speaker of the House of Representatives with the advice of the |
| 37 | Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. |
| 38 | (c) The Secretary of Children and Family Services or his |
| 39 | or her designee. |
| 40 | (d) The director of the Mental Health Program Office |
| 41 | within the Department of Children and Family Services or his or |
| 42 | her designee. |
| 43 | (e) The Secretary of Health or his or her designee. |
| 44 | (f) The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee. |
| 45 | (g) The Secretary of Corrections or his or her designee. |
| 46 | (h) The Attorney General or his or her designee. |
| 47 | (i) The Secretary of Management Services or his or her |
| 48 | designee. |
| 49 | (j) The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation or |
| 50 | his or her designee. |
| 51 | (k) A businessperson of black origin appointed by the |
| 52 | Governor. |
| 53 | (l) Two persons appointed by the President of the Senate |
| 54 | who are not members of the Legislature or employed by state |
| 55 | government. One of the appointees must be a clinical |
| 56 | psychologist. |
| 57 | (m) Two persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
| 58 | Representatives who are not members of the Legislature or |
| 59 | employed by state government. One of the appointees must be an |
| 60 | Africana studies professional. |
| 61 | (n) The deputy secretary for Medicaid in the Agency for |
| 62 | Health Care Administration or his or her designee. |
| 63 | (o) The Secretary of Juvenile Justice or his or her |
| 64 | designee. |
| 65 | (2) Each member of the council shall be appointed to a 4- |
| 66 | year term; however, for the purpose of providing staggered |
| 67 | terms, of the initial appointments, 9 members shall be appointed |
| 68 | to 2-year terms and 10 members shall be appointed to 4-year |
| 69 | terms. A member of the council may be removed at any time by the |
| 70 | member's appointing authority who shall fill the vacancy on the |
| 71 | council. |
| 72 | (3)(a) At the first meeting of the council each year, the |
| 73 | members shall elect a chair and a vice chair. |
| 74 | (b) A vacancy in the office of chair or vice chair shall |
| 75 | be filled by vote of the remaining members. |
| 76 | (4)(a) The council shall make a systematic study of the |
| 77 | conditions affecting black men and boys, including, but not |
| 78 | limited to, homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, |
| 79 | poverty, violence, drug abuse, death rates, disparate annual |
| 80 | income levels, school performance in all grade levels including |
| 81 | postsecondary levels, and health issues. |
| 82 | (b) The council shall propose measures to alleviate and |
| 83 | correct the underlying causes of the conditions described in |
| 84 | paragraph (a). These measures may consist of changes to the law |
| 85 | or systematic changes that can be implemented without |
| 86 | legislative action. |
| 87 | (c) The council may study other topics suggested by the |
| 88 | Legislature or as directed by the chair of the council. |
| 89 | (d) The council shall receive suggestions or comments |
| 90 | pertinent to the applicable issues from members of the |
| 91 | Legislature, governmental agencies, public and private |
| 92 | organizations, and private citizens. |
| 93 | (5) The Office of the Attorney General shall provide staff |
| 94 | and administrative support to the council. |
| 95 | (6) The council shall meet quarterly and at other times at |
| 96 | the call of the chair or as determined by a majority of council |
| 97 | members and approved by the Attorney General. |
| 98 | (7) Eleven of the members of the council shall constitute |
| 99 | a quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the members |
| 100 | present is required for final action. |
| 101 | (8)(a) The council shall issue its first annual report by |
| 102 | December 15, 2007, and by December 15 each following year, |
| 103 | stating the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the |
| 104 | council. The council shall submit the report to the Governor, |
| 105 | the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of |
| 106 | Representatives, and the chairpersons of the standing committees |
| 107 | of jurisdiction in each chamber. |
| 108 | (b) The initial report must include the findings of an |
| 109 | investigation into factors causing black-on-black crime from the |
| 110 | perspective of public health related to mental health, other |
| 111 | health issues, cultural disconnection, and cultural identity |
| 112 | trauma. |
| 113 | (9) Members of the council shall serve without |
| 114 | compensation. Members are entitled to reimbursement for per diem |
| 115 | and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, Florida Statutes. |
| 116 | State officers and employees shall be reimbursed from the budget |
| 117 | of the agency through which they serve. Other members may be |
| 118 | reimbursed by the Department of Legal Affairs. |
| 119 | (10) The council and any subcommittees it forms shall be |
| 120 | subject to the provisions of chapter 119, Florida Statutes, |
| 121 | related to public records, and the provisions of chapter 286, |
| 122 | Florida Statutes, related to public meetings. |
| 123 | (11) Each member of the council who is not otherwise |
| 124 | required to file a financial disclosure statement pursuant to s. |
| 125 | 8, Art. II of the State Constitution or s. 112.3144, Florida |
| 126 | Statutes, must file a disclosure of financial interests pursuant |
| 127 | to s. 112.3145, Florida Statutes. |
| 128 | (12) Notwithstanding subsection (6), the Attorney General |
| 129 | shall: |
| 130 | (a) Within 60 days after the effective date of this act, |
| 131 | fix a date for the initial meeting of the council. |
| 132 | (b) Notify each member of the council of the time, date, |
| 133 | and place where the initial meeting will be held. |
| 134 | (c) Make any other arrangements concerning the initial |
| 135 | meeting of the council. |
| 136 | (d) Serve as the presiding officer at the initial meeting |
| 137 | of the council until a chair is elected. |
| 138 | (13) This section expires July 1, 2012, unless reenacted |
| 139 | by the Legislature. |
| 140 | Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2007. |