Florida Senate - 2014 CS for SB 1416
By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Bean
591-03917-14 20141416c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to sexual predator and sexual offender
3 absconders; creating s. 16.581, F.S.; providing
4 legislative findings; creating the Sexual Predator and
5 Sexual Offender Absconder Strike Force within the
6 Department of Law Enforcement; providing definitions;
7 providing for the membership and terms of the strike
8 force; requiring the department to provide
9 administrative services to the strike force; requiring
10 the strike force to organize by a specified date;
11 providing for meetings; specifying the duties of the
12 strike force; requiring an annual report to the
13 Governor and the Legislature; providing an
14 appropriation; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 16.581, Florida Statutes, is created to
19 read:
20 16.581 Sexual Predator and Sexual Offender Absconder Strike
21 Force.—
22 (1) FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds that there is a need to
23 locate and arrest registered sexual predators and sexual
24 offenders who are under the supervision of the Department of
25 Corrections and who have absconded from such supervision.
26 (2) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is created the Sexual Predator and
27 Sexual Offender Absconder Strike Force within the Department of
28 Law Enforcement. The purpose of the strike force is to develop
29 and prioritize coordinated strategies for the apprehension of
30 registered sexual predators and sexual offenders who are under
31 the supervision of the Department of Corrections and who have
32 absconded from such supervision.
33 (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
34 (a) “Sexual offender” means a person required to register
35 as a sexual offender under s. 943.0435 or s. 944.607.
36 (b) “Sexual predator” means a person required to register
37 as a sexual predator under s. 775.21.
38 (4) MEMBERSHIP.—The strike force shall consist of the
39 following 10 members or their designees:
40 (a) The executive director of the Department of Law
41 Enforcement, who shall serve as chair.
42 (b) The Secretary of Corrections, who shall serve as vice
43 chair.
44 (c) The Secretary of Juvenile Justice.
45 (d) The chair of the Parole Commission.
46 (e) The executive director of the Department of Highway
47 Safety and Motor Vehicles.
48 (f) Five members appointed by the executive director of the
49 Department of Law Enforcement, consisting of two sheriffs, two
50 chiefs of police, and one state attorney. In making these
51 appointments, the executive director of the Department of Law
52 Enforcement shall consider representation by geography,
53 population, ethnicity, and other relevant factors in order to
54 ensure that the membership of the strike force is representative
55 of the state as a whole.
56 (5) TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP; COMPENSATION; ADMINISTRATIVE
57 SERVICES.—
58 (a) The five members appointed by the executive director of
59 the Department of Law Enforcement shall be appointed to 4-year
60 terms; however, for the purpose of providing staggered terms of
61 the initial appointments, two members shall be appointed to a 2
62 year term, two members shall be appointed to a 3-year term, and
63 one member shall be appointed to a 4-year term. Each of the
64 remaining members is a standing member of the strike force and
65 may not serve beyond the time he or she holds the position that
66 was the basis for the membership. A vacancy shall be filled in
67 the same manner as the original appointment but only for the
68 remainder of the term.
69 (b) The Legislature finds that the strike force serves a
70 legitimate state, county, and municipal purpose and that service
71 on the strike force is consistent with a member’s principal
72 service in public office or employment. Therefore, membership on
73 the strike force does not disqualify a member from holding any
74 other public office or from being employed by a public entity,
75 except that a member of the Legislature may not serve on the
76 strike force.
77 (c) Members of the strike force shall serve without
78 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
79 travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061.
80 (d) The Department of Law Enforcement shall provide
81 administrative and support services for the strike force.
82 (6) MEETINGS.—The strike force shall organize by December
83 31, 2014. Thereafter, the strike force shall meet at least four
84 times per year. Additional meetings may be held if the chair
85 determines that extraordinary circumstances require an
86 additional meeting. Members may appear at meetings by electronic
87 means. A majority of the members of the strike force constitutes
88 a quorum.
89 (7) DUTIES.—The strike force shall coordinate with the
90 Department of Corrections and local law enforcement agencies to:
91 (a)1. Develop and review a statewide list of known sexual
92 predator and sexual offender absconders.
93 2. Prioritize those absconders who pose the greatest risk
94 to public safety by evaluating their criminal history, most
95 recent dates of offense, length of time as absconders, and other
96 factors.
97 3. Disseminate the list produced under this paragraph to
98 local law enforcement agencies.
99 (b) Develop and recommend coordinated statewide strategies
100 for the apprehension of sexual predator and sexual offender
101 absconders with special focus on those who pose the greatest
102 risk to public safety.
103 (8) REPORT.—By October 1, 2015, and annually thereafter,
104 the strike force shall submit a report on its activities and
105 recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
106 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
107 Section 2. For the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the sum of
108 $101,418 in recurring funds is appropriated from the General
109 Revenue Fund to the Department of Law Enforcement for the
110 implementation of this act.
111 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.