Florida Senate - 2020                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 652
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì299286XÎ299286                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/19/2020           .                                
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       Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
       (Pizzo) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 943.6872, Florida Statutes, is created
    6  to read:
    7         943.6872Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force.—
    8         (1)The Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force, a task force as
    9  defined in s. 20.03, is created within the Department of Law
   10  Enforcement. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
   11  task force shall comply with the requirements of s. 20.052.
   12         (2)(a)The 10-member task force shall convene no later than
   13  September 1, 2020, and must be composed of two members appointed
   14  by each of the following: the President of the Senate, the
   15  Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
   16  Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of
   17  Representatives, and the Governor. Appointments must be made by
   18  August 1, 2020. The Governor shall appoint a chair from among
   19  the members. Members serve at the pleasure of the officer who
   20  appointed them. A vacancy on the task force must be filled in
   21  the same manner as the original appointment.
   22         (b)The General Counsel of the Department of Law
   23  Enforcement shall serve as the general counsel for the task
   24  force.
   25         (c)The chair shall assign staff from the Department of Law
   26  Enforcement and the Department of Juvenile Justice to assist the
   27  task force in performing its duties.
   28         (d)The task force shall meet on a quarterly basis or at
   29  the call of the chair, as necessary to conduct its work, at a
   30  time and location in this state designated by the chair. The
   31  task force may not conduct its meetings through teleconferences
   32  or other similar means.
   33         (3)The task force shall investigate system failures and
   34  the causes of high crime rates and gun violence incidents in
   35  urban core neighborhoods and communities. In addition, the task
   36  force shall develop recommendations for solutions, programs,
   37  services, and strategies for improved interagency communications
   38  between local and state government agencies which will help
   39  facilitate the reduction of crime and gun violence in urban core
   40  neighborhoods and communities.
   41         (4)The task force may call upon appropriate state
   42  government agencies for such professional assistance as may be
   43  needed in the discharge of its duties, and such agencies shall
   44  provide such assistance in a timely manner.
   45         (5)Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the task
   46  force may request and shall be provided with access to any
   47  information or records that pertain to crime and gun violence
   48  incidents in this state’s urban core neighborhoods and
   49  communities. Information or records obtained by the task force
   50  which are otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt shall
   51  retain such exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the
   52  task force may not disclose any such information or records.
   53         (6)The task force shall submit an initial report on its
   54  findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of
   55  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by
   56  January 1, 2021, and may issue reports annually thereafter.
   57         (7)This section is repealed on June 30, 2023.
   58         Section 2. Section 943.6873, Florida Statutes, is created
   59  to read:
   60         943.6873Florida Firearm Violence Reduction Pilot Program.-
   61         (1)CREATION.-Beginning July 1, 2020, the Florida Firearm
   62  Violence Reduction Pilot Program is created within the
   63  department for a period of 3 years. The purpose of the pilot
   64  program is to improve public health and safety by supporting
   65  evidence-based firearm violence reduction models in counties
   66  that are disproportionately impacted by firearm violence.
   67         (2)DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section, the term:
   68         (a)“Disproportionately impacted by firearm violence” means
   69  the county experienced 20 or more firearm-related homicides per
   70  calendar year during at least 2 of the 3 calendar years
   71  immediately preceding the application, or the county experienced
   72  at least 10 firearm-related homicides per calendar year and had
   73  a homicide rate that was at least 50 percent higher than the
   74  statewide homicide rate during at least 2 of the 3 calendar
   75  years immediately preceding the application.
   76         (b)“Evidence-based firearm violence reduction model” means
   77  a program, proven through empirical evidence, to reduce firearm
   78  violence through focused deterrence or recidivism reduction
   79  strategies.
   80         (c)“Program implementation organization” means an
   81  organization with experience implementing an evidence-based
   82  firearm violence reduction model including providing training,
   83  collecting and analyzing data, and conducting program
   84  evaluations.
   85         (3)ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS; APPLICATIONS.-To be eligible
   86  to participate in the pilot program, a county must submit an
   87  application in a form prescribed by the department by October 1,
   88  2020. At a minimum, the application must include:
   89         (a)A statement and any empirical evidence indicating that
   90  the county is disproportionately impacted by firearm violence or
   91  otherwise demonstrating the county’s compelling need for
   92  additional resources to address the impact of firearm violence.
   93         (b)A statement of the estimated fiscal impact of firearm
   94  violence in the county including the costs incurred by the
   95  county investigating, prosecuting, incarcerating, and treating
   96  individuals related to firearm violence in the 3 calendar years
   97  immediately preceding the application.
   98         (c)A description of the evidence-based firearm violence
   99  reduction model the county will implement during the pilot
  100  program. A county must implement one of the following evidence
  101  based firearm violence reduction models: the Group Violence
  102  Intervention program, the Cure Violence program, or a hospital
  103  based violence intervention program.
  104         (d)A statement identifying a program implementation
  105  organization the county will consult to implement the evidence
  106  based firearm violence reduction model and a description of the
  107  organization’s experience implementing such programs.
  108         (e)A description of any public or private organization the
  109  county intends to collaborate with to provide services. Such
  110  organizations may include faith-based service groups that offer
  111  community support services including, but not limited to,
  112  substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, housing
  113  support programs, and employment support programs.
  114         (f)A description of the criteria the county will use to
  115  identify eligible participants. A participant must be an
  116  individual who has been identified as being at a high risk for
  117  becoming a victim or perpetrator of firearm violence.
  118         (g)A statement describing how the county proposes to
  119  coordinate the evidence-based firearm violence reduction model
  120  and any existing violence prevention and intervention programs
  121  operating in the county to minimize duplication of services.
  122         (4)DEPARTMENT DUTIES.-
  123         (a)The department shall develop and make available an
  124  application form to be used by counties seeking to participate
  125  in the pilot program.
  126         (b)Subject to an appropriation in the General
  127  Appropriations Act, the department shall use program funds to
  128  provide grants for up to six counties to implement the pilot
  129  program. Each county must meet the eligibility and application
  130  requirements provided in subsection (3). The department may
  131  develop other needs-based criteria for pilot program selection
  132  and to determine the appropriate grant amount to award to each
  133  county based on such needs-based criteria.
  134         (c)The department shall evaluate the effectiveness of the
  135  pilot program by measuring firearm violence reduction in the
  136  participating counties. The department shall compile the
  137  information required under subsection (5), and by June 30, 2022,
  138  and each June 30 thereafter, submit a report to the Governor,
  139  the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
  140  Representatives on the impact of the pilot program. The
  141  department shall publish the report on its website.
  142         (d)The department may adopt rules to administer this
  143  section.
  144         (5)DUTIES OF PARTICIPATING COUNTIES.-
  145         (a)Each county participating in the pilot program must
  146  contribute $1 for every $1 requested from the department. All
  147  funds, whether provided by the county or by the department, must
  148  be used to implement the pilot program.
  149         (b)Each county participating in the pilot program shall
  150  appoint a program steering committee which must, at a minimum,
  151  include one representative from each law enforcement agency
  152  located in the county. The program steering committee shall
  153  collaborate with a program implementation organization to
  154  implement an appropriate evidence-based firearm violence
  155  reduction model.
  156         (c)To maintain its eligibility for participation in the
  157  pilot program, a county must report to the department by January
  158  1, 2022, and each January 1 thereafter, in a format prescribed
  159  by the department, the following information:
  160         1.A description of the evidence-based firearm violence
  161  reduction model utilized.
  162         2.A description of program strategies used to attract and
  163  retain participants.
  164         3.A description of the type and quantity of services
  165  provided to participants.
  166         4.The total number of participants served and the
  167  demographic characteristics of participants.
  168         5.A description of how the services provided improved
  169  participant outcomes, including, but not limited to:
  170         a.Any change in participants’ employment status or
  171  educational attainment level.
  172         b.Any change in the frequency of arrests experienced by
  173  participants.
  174         c.Any change in the frequency of victimizations
  175  experienced by participants.
  176         6.Any change in the frequency or severity of firearm
  177  violence experienced by the county, including any increase or
  178  reduction in the number of:
  179         a.Firearm-related arrests.
  180         b.Firearm-related injuries.
  181         c.Other firearm-related law enforcement calls for service.
  182         7.The period for which the data submitted was collected,
  183  aggregated, and analyzed.
  184         (6)EXPIRATION.-This section expires June 30, 2023.
  185         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.
  186  
  187  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  188  And the title is amended as follows:
  189         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  190  and insert:
  191                        A bill to be entitled                      
  192         An act relating to gun violence reduction; creating s.
  193         943.6872, F.S.; creating the Urban Core Gun Violence
  194         Task Force; requiring the task force to comply with
  195         specified requirements; providing for membership;
  196         providing for staff support; providing requirements
  197         for meetings; specifying duties and powers of the task
  198         force; authorizing the task force to seek assistance
  199         from state agencies; providing for access to certain
  200         information and records; requiring an initial report;
  201         authorizing annual reports; providing for repeal of
  202         the task force; creating s. 943.6873, F.S.; creating
  203         the Florida Firearm Violence Reduction Pilot Program;
  204         providing the purpose of the pilot program; providing
  205         definitions; providing program eligibility and
  206         application requirements; authorizing the Department
  207         of Law Enforcement to provide grants to a specified
  208         number of counties to implement the pilot program,
  209         subject to appropriation; requiring the department to
  210         evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program,
  211         submit an annual report to the Governor and
  212         Legislature, and publish the report on its website;
  213         authorizing the department to adopt rules; requiring
  214         each county participating in the pilot program to
  215         appoint a program steering committee to implement an
  216         evidence-based firearm violence reduction model and to
  217         submit an annual report to the department; providing
  218         requirements for the report; providing for expiration
  219         of the pilot program;; providing an effective date.