| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Council on the Social Status of |
| 3 | Black Men and Boys; amending s. 16.615, F.S.; removing |
| 4 | outdated provisions; removing a provision that |
| 5 | discontinues the council under certain conditions; |
| 6 | providing an appropriation; providing an effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Section 16.615, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 11 | to read: |
| 12 | 16.615 Council on the Social Status of Black Men and |
| 13 | Boys.-- |
| 14 | (1) The Council on the Social Status of Black Men and |
| 15 | Boys is established within the Department of Legal Affairs and |
| 16 | shall consist of 19 members appointed as follows: |
| 17 | (a) Two members of the Senate who are not members of the |
| 18 | same political party, appointed by the President of the Senate |
| 19 | with the advice of the Minority Leader of the Senate. |
| 20 | (b) Two members of the House of Representatives who are |
| 21 | not members of the same political party, appointed by the |
| 22 | Speaker of the House of Representatives with the advice of the |
| 23 | Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. |
| 24 | (c) The Secretary of Children and Family Services or his |
| 25 | or her designee. |
| 26 | (d) The director of the Mental Health Program Office |
| 27 | within the Department of Children and Family Services or his |
| 28 | or her designee. |
| 29 | (e) The Secretary of Health State Surgeon General or his |
| 30 | or her designee. |
| 31 | (f) The Commissioner of Education or his or her |
| 32 | designee. |
| 33 | (g) The Secretary of Corrections or his or her designee. |
| 34 | (h) The Attorney General or his or her designee. |
| 35 | (i) The Secretary of Management Services or his or her |
| 36 | designee. |
| 37 | (j) The director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation |
| 38 | or his or her designee. |
| 39 | (k) A businessperson who is an African American, as |
| 40 | defined in s. 760.80(2), of black origin appointed by the |
| 41 | Governor. |
| 42 | (l) Two persons appointed by the President of the Senate |
| 43 | who are not members of the Legislature or employed by state |
| 44 | government. One of the appointees must be a clinical |
| 45 | psychologist. |
| 46 | (m) Two persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
| 47 | Representatives who are not members of the Legislature or |
| 48 | employed by state government. One of the appointees must be an |
| 49 | Africana studies professional. |
| 50 | (n) The deputy secretary for Medicaid in the Agency for |
| 51 | Health Care Administration or his or her designee. |
| 52 | (o) The Secretary of Juvenile Justice or his or her |
| 53 | designee. |
| 54 | (2) Each member of the council shall be appointed to a |
| 55 | 4-year term; however, for the purpose of providing staggered |
| 56 | terms, of the initial appointments, 9 members shall be |
| 57 | appointed to 2-year terms and 10 members shall be appointed to |
| 58 | 4-year terms. A member of the council may be removed at any |
| 59 | time by the member's appointing authority who shall fill the |
| 60 | vacancy on the council. |
| 61 | (3)(a) At the first meeting of the council each year, |
| 62 | the members shall elect a chair and a vice chair. |
| 63 | (b) A vacancy in the office of chair or vice chair shall |
| 64 | be filled by vote of the remaining members. |
| 65 | (4)(a) The council shall make a systematic study of the |
| 66 | conditions affecting black men and boys, including, but not |
| 67 | limited to, homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, |
| 68 | poverty, violence, drug abuse, death rates, disparate annual |
| 69 | income levels, school performance in all grade levels |
| 70 | including postsecondary levels, and health issues. |
| 71 | (b) The council shall propose measures to alleviate and |
| 72 | correct the underlying causes of the conditions described in |
| 73 | paragraph (a). These measures may consist of changes to the |
| 74 | law or systematic changes that can be implemented without |
| 75 | legislative action. |
| 76 | (c) The council may study other topics suggested by the |
| 77 | Legislature or as directed by the chair of the council. |
| 78 | (d) The council shall receive suggestions or comments |
| 79 | pertinent to the applicable issues from members of the |
| 80 | Legislature, governmental agencies, public and private |
| 81 | organizations, and private citizens. |
| 82 | (5) The Office of the Attorney General shall provide |
| 83 | staff and administrative support to the council. |
| 84 | (6) The council shall meet quarterly and at other times |
| 85 | at the call of the chair or as determined by a majority of |
| 86 | council members and approved by the Attorney General. |
| 87 | (7) Eleven of the members of the council shall |
| 88 | constitute a quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of |
| 89 | the members present is required for final action. |
| 90 | (8)(a) The council shall issue its first annual report |
| 91 | by December 15, 2007, and by December 15 each following year, |
| 92 | stating the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the |
| 93 | council. The council shall submit the report to the Governor, |
| 94 | the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of |
| 95 | Representatives, and the chairpersons of the standing |
| 96 | committees of jurisdiction in each chamber. |
| 97 | (b) The initial report must include the findings of an |
| 98 | investigation into factors causing black-on-black crime from |
| 99 | the perspective of public health related to mental health, |
| 100 | other health issues, cultural disconnection, and cultural |
| 101 | identity trauma. |
| 102 | (9) Members of the council shall serve without |
| 103 | compensation. Members are entitled to reimbursement for per |
| 104 | diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. State |
| 105 | officers and employees shall be reimbursed from the budget of |
| 106 | the agency through which they serve. Other members may be |
| 107 | reimbursed by the Department of Legal Affairs. |
| 108 | (10) The council and any subcommittees it forms are |
| 109 | shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 119, related to |
| 110 | public records, and the provisions of chapter 286, related to |
| 111 | public meetings. |
| 112 | (11) Each member of the council who is not otherwise |
| 113 | required to file a financial disclosure statement pursuant to |
| 114 | s. 8, Art. II of the State Constitution or s. 112.3144, must |
| 115 | file a disclosure of financial interests pursuant to s. |
| 116 | 112.3145. |
| 117 | (12) Notwithstanding subsection (6), the Attorney |
| 118 | General shall: |
| 119 | (a) Within 60 days after the effective date of this act, |
| 120 | fix a date for the initial meeting of the council. |
| 121 | (b) Notify each member of the council of the time, date, |
| 122 | and place where the initial meeting will be held. |
| 123 | (c) Make any other arrangements concerning the initial |
| 124 | meeting of the council. |
| 125 | (d) Serve as the presiding officer at the initial |
| 126 | meeting of the council until a chair is elected. |
| 127 | (13) This section expires July 1, 2012, unless reenacted |
| 128 | by the Legislature. |
| 129 | Section 2. The sum of $500,000 is appropriated from the |
| 130 | General Revenue Fund to the Department of Legal Affairs for |
| 131 | the purpose of paying administrative expenses necessary for |
| 132 | the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to |
| 133 | carry out its responsibilities under s. 16.615, Florida |
| 134 | Statutes, during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. |
| 135 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |