Florida Senate - 2024 SB 354
By Senator Osgood
32-00452-24 2024354__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Task Force on Missing and
3 Murdered African-American Women; creating the task
4 force within the Department of Law Enforcement;
5 providing the purpose of the task force; requiring
6 that members be appointed by a specified date;
7 providing for membership of the task force; specifying
8 that members serve at the pleasure of the appointing
9 authority; requiring that a vacancy be filled in the
10 same manner as the appointment; requiring the members
11 to elect a chair and a vice chair; authorizing the
12 members to elect other officers; requiring the task
13 force to meet at least quarterly and if called by the
14 chair; authorizing the task force to hold meetings
15 throughout the state; requiring the task force to seek
16 out and enlist the assistance of specified entities;
17 requiring the task force to initially meet before a
18 specified date; requiring the department to provide
19 meeting space and administrative assistance; requiring
20 the task force to examine and report on specified
21 issues; requiring the task force to submit a report
22 containing specified information to certain
23 legislative committees by a specified date; providing
24 for expiration of the task force; providing an
25 appropriation; providing an effective date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Task Force on Missing and Murdered African
30 American Women.—
31 (1) CREATION; PURPOSE.—The Task Force on Missing and
32 Murdered African-American Women, a task force as defined in s.
33 20.03(5), Florida Statutes, is created within the Department of
34 Law Enforcement to advise the executive director of the
35 department and report to the Legislature on recommendations to
36 address and reduce violence against African-American women and
37 girls in this state. The task force may also serve as a liaison
38 between the executive director, agencies, and nongovernmental
39 organizations that provide services to victims, victims’
40 families, and victims’ communities. Except as otherwise provided
41 in this section, the task force shall operate in a manner
42 consistent with s. 20.052, Florida Statutes.
43 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—
44 (a) Task force members must be appointed by September 1,
45 2024. The task force shall be composed of the following persons,
46 or the persons’ designees, who are knowledgeable in crime
47 victims’ rights or violence prevention and, unless otherwise
48 specified, are appointed by the executive director of the
49 department:
50 1. Two members of the Senate, one appointed by the
51 President of the Senate and one appointed by the Minority Leader
52 of the Senate.
53 2. Two members of the House of Representatives, one
54 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one
55 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
56 Representatives.
57 3. Two representatives from among the following:
58 a. The Florida Police Chiefs Association.
59 b. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
60 4. One or more representatives from among the following:
61 a. The Florida Association of County Attorneys;
62 b. A United States Attorney’s Office in this state; or
63 c. A judge or attorney working in juvenile court.
64 5. A medical examiner, a representative from a statewide
65 medical examiner’s association, or a representative of the
66 Department of Health.
67 6. Three or more representatives from among the following:
68 a. A statewide or local organization that provides legal
69 services to African-American women and girls;
70 b. A statewide or local organization that provides advocacy
71 or counseling for African-American women and girls who have been
72 victims of violence;
73 c. A statewide or local organization that provides services
74 to African-American women and girls; or
75 d. An African-American woman who is a survivor of gender
76 based violence.
77 (b) Members of the task force serve at the pleasure of the
78 appointing authority or until the task force expires. Vacancies
79 must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
80 (3) OFFICERS; MEETINGS.—
81 (a) The task force members shall annually elect a chair and
82 vice chair from among the task force’s members and may elect
83 other officers as necessary. The task force shall meet at least
84 quarterly, or upon the call of its chair, and may hold meetings
85 throughout this state. The task force shall meet as often as it
86 deems necessary to complete the duties provided in subsection
87 (4).
88 (b) The task force shall seek out and enlist the
89 cooperation and assistance of nongovernmental organizations,
90 community and advocacy organizations working with the African
91 American community, and academic researchers and experts,
92 specifically those specializing in violence against African
93 American women and girls, those representing diverse communities
94 disproportionately affected by violence against women and girls,
95 or those focusing on issues relating to gender-based violence
96 and violence against African-American women and girls.
97 (c) The first meeting of the task force must convene no
98 later than October 1, 2024. The department shall provide meeting
99 space and administrative assistance as necessary for the task
100 force to conduct its work.
101 (4) DUTIES.—The task force shall examine and report on the
102 following:
103 (a) The systemic causes behind violence against African
104 American women and girls, including patterns and underlying
105 factors that explain why disproportionately high levels of
106 violence occur against African-American women and girls,
107 including underlying historical, social, economic,
108 institutional, and cultural factors that may contribute to such
109 violence.
110 (b) Appropriate methods for tracking and collecting data on
111 violence against African-American women and girls, including
112 data on missing and murdered African-American women and girls.
113 (c) Institutions such as police, child welfare agencies,
114 coroners, and other governmental institutions and their policies
115 and practices that impact violence against African-American
116 women and girls and the investigation and prosecution of crimes
117 of gender-based violence against African-Americans.
118 (d) Measures necessary to address and reduce or eliminate
119 violence against African-American women and girls.
120 (e) Measures to help victims, victims’ families, and
121 victims’ communities prevent and heal from violence that occurs
122 against African-American women and girls.
123 (5) REPORT.—The task force shall report to the chairs and
124 ranking minority members, if applicable, of the legislative
125 committees with jurisdiction over public safety, human services,
126 and state government on the work of the task force, including,
127 but not limited to, the issues to be examined as specified in
128 this section, and the report must include institutional policies
129 and practices or proposed institutional policies and practices
130 that are effective in reducing gender-based violence and
131 increasing the safety of African-American women and girls. The
132 report must include recommendations to reduce or eliminate
133 violence against African-American women and girls and to help
134 victims and communities heal from gender violence and violence
135 against African-American women and girls. The report must be
136 submitted to the legislative committees by December 15, 2025.
137 (6) EXPIRATION.—The task force and this section expire on
138 December 31, 2025.
139 Section 2. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of
140 $150,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
141 appropriated to the Department of Law Enforcement to implement
142 this act.
143 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.