| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Florida Commission on African- |
| 3 | American Affairs; amending s. 14.27, F.S.; providing |
| 4 | additional duties of the commission; expanding the scope |
| 5 | of areas to be included in a study and report to the |
| 6 | Governor; providing an effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 14.27, Florida |
| 11 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 12 | 14.27 Florida Commission on African-American Affairs.-- |
| 13 | (4) It shall be the role of the commission to develop |
| 14 | specific strategies and plans to address the economic, social, |
| 15 | educational, health, and welfare needs of African Americans in |
| 16 | the state. Pursuant thereto, the commission's duties shall |
| 17 | include, but not be limited to: |
| 18 | (a) Studying the changing and developing roles of African |
| 19 | Americans in American society. The study shall be ongoing, with |
| 20 | reports submitted periodically as needed with the annual report |
| 21 | submitted to the Governor under paragraph (b), and shall |
| 22 | include, but not be limited to, the following areas: |
| 23 | 1. The socioeconomic factors that influence the status of |
| 24 | African Americans. |
| 25 | 2. The encouragement of African Americans to utilize their |
| 26 | existing resources and abilities to strive for leadership roles. |
| 27 | 3. The coordination of efforts of numerous African- |
| 28 | American organizations interested in the welfare of African |
| 29 | Americans. |
| 30 | 4. The identification and recognition of contributions |
| 31 | made by African Americans to the community, state, and nation. |
| 32 | 5. The coordination of efforts of the medical community, |
| 33 | social service agencies, and African-American organizations |
| 34 | interested in the welfare of women and children to reduce the |
| 35 | instances of low birth weight, premature births, and infant and |
| 36 | maternal mortality rates and to offer pregnant women assistance |
| 37 | with a range of services, including transportation, counseling, |
| 38 | drug treatment programs, meals programs, housing programs, job |
| 39 | assistance programs, and information and referral services. |
| 40 | (b) Submitting an annual report to the Governor on the |
| 41 | status of African Americans in the state which includes, but is |
| 42 | not limited to, an assessment of the following areas: education, |
| 43 | economic development, criminal justice, housing, and health. |
| 44 | (c) Reviewing state agency functional plans, legislative |
| 45 | budget requests, and the master plans and policies of the State |
| 46 | Board of Education, other educational boards, panels, and |
| 47 | commissions appointed by the Governor, and local school boards |
| 48 | for their impact on African Americans. |
| 49 | (d) Reviewing various judicial matters that are affecting |
| 50 | African Americans. |
| 51 | (e) Reviewing past and current legislation that may have a |
| 52 | significant impact on African Americans. |
| 53 | (f) Examining any other issues relevant to African |
| 54 | Americans that are presented by the Governor or that are a |
| 55 | result of findings made by the commission. |
| 56 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |