HB 1829 2003
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to the Chief of Domestic Security
3    Initiatives; amending s. 943.0311, F.S.; providing that
4    costs of conducting security assessments of buildings and
5    facilities owned or occupied by a state agency or agencies
6    shall be borne by the agency or agencies owning or
7    occupying the building or facility being assessed;
8    requiring completion of initial assessments of all
9    buildings and facilities owned or leased by a state agency
10    by a specified date; providing for subsequent security
11    assessments; requiring the Chief of Domestic Security
12    Initiatives to promote security assessments of buildings
13    and facilities owned or leased by local governments;
14    providing that costs of security assessments of local
15    government buildings and facilities shall be borne by the
16    local government; authorizing the chief to provide a
17    report based upon information obtained from security
18    assessments of state buildings; requiring the chief to
19    develop recommended best practices for safety and security
20    of buildings owned or leased by state agencies and local
21    governments; authorizing the chief to revise or enhance
22    best practices; providing that best practices and a list
23    of entities qualified to perform security assessments be
24    made available to specified entities; requiring the
25    distribution of best practices to specified officials;
26    providing for payment of costs of conducting a security
27    assessment requested by a private entity; providing that
28    security assessments and specified related information,
29    best practices, and reports of the chief are within the
30    definitions of “threat assessment” and “threat response
31    plan” and are, as such, confidential and exempt from
32    public records requirements; providing an effective date.
33         
34          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35         
36          Section 1. Section 943.0311, Florida Statutes, is amended
37    to read:
38          943.0311 Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives;and the
39    department's duties of the departmentwith respect to domestic
40    security.--The executive director of the department, or a member
41    of the department designated by the executive director, shall
42    serve as the Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives.
43          (1) The Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives shall:
44          (a) Coordinate the efforts of the department in the
45    ongoing assessment of this state's vulnerability to, and ability
46    to detect and respond to, acts of terrorism, as defined in s.
47    775.30, within or affecting this state.
48          (b) Prepare recommendations for the Executive Office of
49    the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
50    the House of Representatives which are based upon ongoing
51    assessments to limit the vulnerability of the state to
52    terrorism.
53          (c) Coordinate the collection of proposals to limit the
54    vulnerability of the state to terrorism.
55          (d) Use regional task forces to support the duties of the
56    department set forth in this section.
57          (e) Use public or private resources to perform the duties
58    assigned to the department under this section.
59          (f) Perform other duties assigned by law.
60          (2)(a) The chief shall conduct or cause to be conducted
61    specific security assessments of buildings and facilities owned
62    or leased by state agencies or local governments. All state
63    agencies and local governmentsshall cooperate with the
64    department and provide requested information and resources to
65    assist the department in meeting its responsibilities under this
66    section. Costs of conducting a security assessment shall be
67    borne by the state agency or agencies that own or occupy the
68    building or facility being assessed. The initial assessment of
69    each building or facility owned or leased by a state agency or
70    agencies shall be completed no later than December 1, 2003.
71    After completion of the initial assessment, the chief shall
72    ensure that followup assessments are conducted to ensure that
73    the security assessment of buildings and facilities owned or
74    leased by state agencies remains reasonably current and valid.
75          (b) The chief shall promote the conducting of security
76    assessments of buildings and facilities owned or leased by local
77    governments and agencies thereof by communicating to local
78    governments the importance of such assessments and the options
79    local governments should consider in obtaining such assessments.
80    Upon the request of a local government, the chief may suggest
81    entities known to the chief as being qualified to provide
82    meaningful building and facility security assessments. The cost
83    of any security assessment of a building or facility owned or
84    leased by a local government shall be borne by the local
85    government.
86          (c)(b) Based upon the information obtained from state
87    agencysecurity assessments, the chief shall prepare
88    recommendations to enhance the security of buildings and
89    facilities owned or leased by state agencies or local
90    governments.
91          (d)(c)Based upon information obtained from security
92    assessments of state buildings and facilities, the chief may
93    shall report to the Executive Office of theGovernor, the
94    President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
95    Representatives and provide prioritized suggestions for security
96    enhancement ofrecommended minimum security standards or
97    security-enhancement needs forany building or facility owned or
98    leased by a state agency or local government. The report may
99    must identify and prioritize the recommended security
100    enhancements andprovide recommendations to maximize federal
101    funding in support of building and facility security.
102          (3) The chief shall develop and submit to the Executive
103    Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
104    Speaker of the House of Representativesrecommended best
105    practices for safety and security of buildings owned or leased
106    by state agencies and local governments. To promote the
107    continued safety of government facilities within the state, the
108    best practices may be revised or enhanced by the chief as
109    necessary. The recommended best practices are not a rule as
110    defined in chapter 120. Upon request, the best practices shall
111    be made available to the head of a state agency that owns or
112    occupies any building or facility in the state and to the chief
113    administrator of any local government. A copy of the current
114    recommended best practices shall be provided to the Governor,
115    the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
116    Representatives. The chief may make the best practices available
117    to other entities if their disclosure promotes public safety.
118    Any security assessment, or suggestion or prioritization with
119    respect thereto, or best practices prepared or developed under
120    this section constitutes a threat assessment as that term is
121    used in s. 119.071The chief shall review the recommended best
122    practices as necessary, but at least once each year, and shall
123    submit any recommended changes to the Executive Office of the
124    Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
125    House of Representatives.
126          (4) The chief may identify entities qualified to perform
127    security assessments of buildings or facilities and may make a
128    list of those entities available to state or local entities
129    seeking to conduct security assessments. In addition,the chief
130    may make the list available to anyconduct specific security
131    assessments of a building or facility owned by a private entity
132    upon the request of that private entity seeking to conduct a
133    security assessment. All costs of a security assessment by a
134    private entity shall be borne by the private entity having the
135    assessment performed. The chief may prioritize requests, and
136    such prioritization is not agency action that is subject to
137    review under chapter 120. The chief may solicit private entities
138    for the purpose of receiving requests to perform security
139    assessments of buildings or facilities. Private entities are
140    urged to cooperate with and assist the department in meeting its
141    responsibilities for domestic security.
142          (5) By November 1 of each year, the executive director
143    shall compile, coordinate, and prioritize recommendations and
144    proposals concerning security and shall present the
145    recommendations and proposals to the Executive Office of the
146    Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
147    House of Representatives. All recommendations seeking funding
148    shall be prioritized, with critical domestic security needs
149    requiring immediate or top-priority funding being clearly
150    identified. Such recommendations shall include recommendations
151    to maximize federal funding in support of the state's domestic-
152    security efforts. The report of the Chief of Domestic Security
153    Initiatives prepared under this section is a threat assessment
154    and threat response plan as those terms are used in s. 119.071.
155          Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.