Florida Senate - 2019 SB 912
By Senator Powell
30-01546-19 2019912__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Complete Count
3 Committee; creating the committee adjunct to the
4 Department of State for specified purposes; specifying
5 the membership of the committee; providing for the
6 appointment of members and filling of vacancies;
7 prescribing duties of the committee and the
8 department; requiring each state agency to designate a
9 census coordinator; defining the term “state agency”;
10 prescribing reporting requirements; providing for
11 expiration of the act; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. (1) The Florida Complete Count Committee, a
16 committee as defined in s. 20.03(8), Florida Statutes, is
17 created adjunct to the Department of State for the express
18 purpose of developing, recommending, and assisting in the
19 administration of a census outreach strategy to encourage the
20 full participation of this state’s residents in the 2020 federal
21 decennial census of population required by 13 U.S.C. s. 141.
22 Except as otherwise provided in this section, the committee
23 shall operate in a manner consistent with s. 20.052, Florida
24 Statutes.
25 (2) The committee is composed of the following members:
26 (a) The President of the Senate, or his or her designee.
27 (b) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, or his or
28 her designee.
29 (c) The Minority Leader of the Senate, or his or her
30 designee.
31 (d) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, or
32 his or her designee.
33 (e) One representative each from the following
34 organizations:
35 1. The Florida League of Cities.
36 2. The Florida League of Mayors.
37 3. The Florida Association of Counties.
38 4. The Florida Association of District School
39 Superintendents.
40 5. Leadership Florida.
41 (f) A designee of the Governor.
42 (g) The Secretary of State.
43 (h) A representative of Florida’s Local Update of Census
44 Addresses effort.
45 (i) One representative each from four different
46 organizations representing the interests of minorities in this
47 state, appointed by the Secretary of State.
48 (j) One representative appointed from three different
49 organizations representing the interests of businesses in this
50 state, nominated by their organizations.
51 (k) Three representatives of faith-based organizations,
52 appointed by the Governor.
53 (l) Two representatives of Native American communities,
54 appointed by the Governor.
55 (3) Members of the committee must be appointed by August 1,
56 2019, and may meet as often as it deems necessary in order to
57 fulfill its duties and responsibilities provided under this
58 section. Members of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of
59 their respective appointing authority and any vacancies must be
60 filled in the same manner as the initial appointment. Members of
61 the committee shall designate a chair and a vice chair from
62 among its membership.
63 (4) In developing a recommended census outreach strategy,
64 the committee shall consider, but is not limited to, the
65 following:
66 (a) State agency initiatives to encourage participation in
67 the 2020 Census.
68 (b) The establishment and support of school-based outreach
69 programs.
70 (c) Partnerships with nonprofit community-based
71 organizations.
72 (d) A multilingual and multimedia campaign designed to
73 ensure an accurate and complete count of the state’s population.
74 (5) To assist in carrying out its duties, the committee may
75 establish, and appoint to from among its membership,
76 subcommittees as it deems appropriate, and may solicit
77 participation from relevant experts and practitioners involved
78 in census issues.
79 (6)(a) The Department of State shall review the committee’s
80 recommendations on a census outreach strategy. Following such
81 review, the department shall coordinate the implementation and
82 administration of any adopted outreach strategy. The department
83 shall provide administrative support to the committee and
84 coordinate with all state agencies and constitutional officers,
85 as well as units of local government, to identify effective
86 methods of outreach to the state’s residents and to provide
87 resources to ensure the success of the outreach program and that
88 all of the state’s residents are counted.
89 (b) Each state agency shall designate a census coordinator
90 who shall cooperate and provide support to the committee as
91 needed. Each state agency shall inform the department of its
92 designated census coordinator.
93 (c) For purposes of this subsection, the term “state
94 agency” means any agency or department under the jurisdiction of
95 the Governor, a Cabinet officer, or the Governor and Cabinet.
96 Any other entities of state government, including the
97 legislative and judicial branches, and units of local government
98 shall cooperate and provide assistance or information to the
99 committee, upon request.
100 (7) The committee shall submit a report to the Governor,
101 the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
102 Representatives by December 1, 2019, which contains its
103 recommendations for a census outreach strategy with the
104 objective of encouraging full participation and avoiding an
105 undercount in the 2020 Census. Thereafter, the committee shall
106 submit a final report to the Governor, the President of the
107 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by
108 August 31, 2021, which details the results of the census
109 outreach strategy.
110 (8) This section expires September 30, 2021.
111 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.