Senate Bill sb0124

    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 124

    By Senator Dockery





    15-181-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Chief of Domestic

  3         Security Initiatives; amending s. 943.0311,

  4         F.S.; providing for security assessments of all

  5         buildings, facilities, and structures owned or

  6         occupied by state agencies, state universities,

  7         and community colleges, by the employees and

  8         within existing resources of such state

  9         agencies, state universities, or community

10         colleges; requiring completion of initial

11         security assessments by a specified date;

12         providing for subsequent security assessments;

13         providing for reports; requiring the chief to

14         communicate to local governments regarding

15         security assessments of buildings and

16         facilities; providing that costs of security

17         assessments of local government buildings and

18         facilities shall be borne by the local

19         government; providing an effective date.

20  

21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

22  

23         Section 1.  Section 943.0311, Florida Statutes, is

24  amended to read:

25         943.0311  Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives; and

26  the department's duties of the department with respect to

27  domestic security.--

28         (1)  The executive director of the department, or a

29  member of the department designated by the executive director,

30  shall serve as the Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives.

31         (1)  The Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives shall:

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 124
    15-181-04




 1         (a)  Coordinate the efforts of the department in the

 2  ongoing assessment of this state's vulnerability to, and

 3  ability to detect and respond to, acts of terrorism, as

 4  defined in s. 775.30, within or affecting this state.

 5         (b)  Prepare recommendations for the Executive Office

 6  of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker

 7  of the House of Representatives, which are based upon ongoing

 8  assessments to limit the vulnerability of the state to

 9  terrorism.

10         (c)  Coordinate the collection of proposals to limit

11  the vulnerability of the state to terrorism.

12         (d)  Use regional task forces to support the duties of

13  the department set forth in this section.

14         (e)  Use public or private resources to perform the

15  duties assigned to the department under this section.

16         (f)  Perform other duties assigned by law.

17         (2)(a)  The chief shall conduct or cause to be

18  conducted by the personnel and with the resources of the state

19  agency, state university, or community college that owns or

20  leases a building, facility, or structure, specific security

21  assessments of buildings, and facilities, and structures owned

22  or leased by state agencies, state universities, and community

23  colleges. Each state agency, state university, and community

24  college or local governments. All state agencies and local

25  governments shall cooperate with the department and provide

26  the assistance of employees within existing resources to

27  provide to the chief information in the format requested by

28  the chief. The chief must report to the Governor, the

29  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

30  Representatives if any state agency, state university, or

31  community college substantially fails to cooperate with the

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 124
    15-181-04




 1  chief in making a security assessment of the buildings,

 2  facilities, and structures of the state agency, state

 3  university, or community college.

 4         (a)  The initial assessment of each building, facility,

 5  or structure owned or leased by a state agency, state

 6  university, or community college shall be completed by the

 7  state agency, state university, or community college and shall

 8  be provided to the chief no later than December 1, 2004.

 9         (b)  The chief may request followup assessments to

10  ensure that the security assessments of buildings, facilities,

11  and structures, owned or leased by state agencies, state

12  universities, and community colleges, remain reasonably

13  current and valid. requested information and resources to

14  assist the department in meeting its responsibilities under

15  this section.

16         (b)  Based upon the security assessments, the chief

17  shall prepare recommendations to enhance the security of

18  buildings and facilities owned or leased by state agencies or

19  local governments.

20         (3)(c)  The chief shall report to the Executive Office

21  of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker

22  of the House of Representatives by November 1 of each year

23  prioritized suggestions for specific security enhancement of

24  recommended minimum security standards or security-enhancement

25  needs for any building, or facility, or structure owned or

26  leased by a state agency, state university, or community

27  college or local government. The report must identify and

28  prioritize the recommended security enhancements and provide

29  recommendations to maximize federal funding in support of

30  building and facility security.

31  

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 1         (4)(3)  The chief shall report develop and submit to

 2  the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the

 3  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives

 4  recommended best practices for safety and security of

 5  buildings, facilities, and structures owned or leased by state

 6  agencies, state universities, community colleges, and local

 7  governments. To promote the continued safety of government

 8  buildings, facilities, and structures within the state, the

 9  best practices may be revised or enhanced by the chief as

10  necessary. The recommended best practices are not a rule as

11  defined in chapter 120.

12         (5)  The chief shall communicate to local governments

13  the importance of conducting security assessments of

14  buildings, facilities, and structures owned or leased by such

15  local governments, and the options local governments should

16  consider in obtaining security assessments. The cost of any

17  security assessment of a building, facility, or structure

18  owned or leased by a local government shall be borne by the

19  local government.  The chief shall review the recommended best

20  practices as necessary, but at least once each year, and shall

21  submit any recommended changes to the Executive Office of the

22  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

23  House of Representatives.

24         (6)(4)  The chief may conduct specific security

25  assessments of a building or facility owned by a private

26  entity upon the request of that private entity. The chief may

27  prioritize requests, and such prioritization is not agency

28  action that is subject to review under chapter 120. The chief

29  may solicit private entities for the purpose of receiving

30  requests to perform security assessments of buildings or

31  facilities. Private entities are urged to cooperate with and

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 124
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 1  assist the department in meeting its responsibilities for

 2  domestic security.

 3         (5)  By November 1 of each year, the executive director

 4  shall compile, coordinate, and prioritize recommendations and

 5  proposals concerning security and shall present the

 6  recommendations and proposals to the Executive Office of the

 7  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

 8  House of Representatives. All recommendations seeking funding

 9  shall be prioritized, with critical domestic security needs

10  requiring immediate or top-priority funding being clearly

11  identified. Such recommendations shall include recommendations

12  to maximize federal funding in support of the state's

13  domestic-security efforts.

14         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

15  law.

16  

17            *****************************************

18                          SENATE SUMMARY

19    Provides for security assessments of buildings,
      facilities, and structures owned or leased by state
20    agencies, state universities, and community colleges,
      with initial assessments due by December 1, 2004.
21    Requires the Chief of Domestic Security Initiatives to
      report suggestions for security enhancement and to
22    communicate to local governments the importance of such
      security assessments.
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