Florida Senate - 2022 SB 388
By Senator Berman
31-00053C-22 2022388__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Office of Diversity, Equity,
3 and Inclusion; creating s. 14.2031, F.S.; providing
4 legislative intent; defining terms; establishing the
5 office within the Executive Office of the Governor;
6 providing for the appointment of a Chief Diversity
7 Officer; prescribing minimum qualifications for the
8 Chief Diversity Officer; providing the duties of the
9 Chief Diversity Officer, including creation of a
10 strategic plan that must be periodically updated and
11 the review of certain agency programs and policies;
12 providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 14.2031, Florida Statutes, is created to
17 read:
18 14.2031 Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.—
19 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that the office
20 established under this act will work to end systemic racism; to
21 fully realize equal opportunity as the bedrock of American
22 society; to recognize diversity as one of this state’s greatest
23 strengths; to promote equity, racial justice, and civil rights;
24 to advance inclusivity and ensure fairness in executive
25 decisionmaking processes; to identify and work to redress racial
26 inequities in agency policies and programs which serve as
27 barriers to equal opportunity; and to assist Floridians in
28 reaching their full potential by advancing the principles of
29 diversity, equity, and inclusion.
30 (2) As used in this section, the term:
31 (a) “Equity” means the consistent and systematic fair,
32 just, and impartial treatment of all individuals who belong to
33 underserved communities that have been denied such treatment,
34 including Black, Latino, indigenous and Native American persons,
35 Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color;
36 members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual,
37 transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with
38 disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons
39 otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or
40 inequality.
41 (b) “Office” means the Office of Diversity, Equity, and
42 Inclusion.
43 (c) “Underserved communities” means populations that share
44 a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities,
45 which have been systematically denied the opportunity to fully
46 participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life and
47 which include those communities identified in paragraph (a).
48 (3) The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is
49 established within the Executive Office of the Governor. The
50 office shall be headed by a Chief Diversity Officer, who shall
51 be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. At
52 the time of appointment, the Chief Diversity Officer must have,
53 at a minimum, a master’s degree with a concentration in human
54 resource management, social justice, postsecondary education,
55 sociology, social anthropology, public administration, or any
56 other related field and 3 years of professional experience
57 involving the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in
58 the private or public sectors. Staff assigned to the office
59 shall assist the Chief Diversity Officer in carrying out the
60 duties prescribed in this section.
61 (4) The Chief Diversity Officer shall:
62 (a) In coordination with agency heads or their designees
63 and no later than October 1, 2022, create a strategic plan to
64 guide the office and the agencies in their efforts to ensure the
65 enactment of principles, policies, and approaches aimed at
66 establishing equity across state government, including, but not
67 limited to, efforts to remove systemic barriers and provide
68 equal access to opportunities and benefits and to identify
69 underserved communities and policies designed to advance their
70 standing. The strategic plan must be updated every 4 years.
71 (b) Partner with agency heads or their designees to study
72 methods for assessing whether agency policies and actions create
73 or exacerbate barriers to full and equal participation by all
74 eligible individuals and identify the best methods, consistent
75 with applicable law, to assist agencies in assessing equity with
76 respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender
77 identity, sexual orientation, and disability.
78 (c) No later than January 31, 2023, in consultation with
79 heads of state agencies or their designees, use the methods
80 identified pursuant to paragraph (b) to select for review
81 specific agency programs and policies to assess whether
82 underserved communities and their members face systemic barriers
83 in accessing benefits and opportunities associated with those
84 policies and programs.
85 (d) Identify opportunities to promote the principles of
86 diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Governor’s recommended
87 budget, with the objective of increasing the state’s investment,
88 through the appropriations process, in underserved communities.
89 (e) Advise the Governor on matters relating to existing
90 economic, health, educational, and environmental inequities
91 within underserved communities and assist in the formulation of
92 policies and legislation that advance equal opportunity and
93 prosperity.
94 (f) Coordinate with the Attorney General to review the Laws
95 of Florida and the Florida Statutes to identify existing laws
96 that were intended to promote or enable racial discrimination or
97 inequity or that include racist language and to make
98 recommendations to the Legislature for repealing any such laws.
99 (g) Contract with a third-party organization to conduct
100 implicit bias training for employees of state agencies.
101 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.