Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1204
       
       
        
       By Senator Clemens
       
       
       
       
       
       27-00478-15                                           20151204__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to minority impact statements;
    3         creating s. 11.63, F.S.; requiring that bills that
    4         create a new criminal offense, modify an existing
    5         criminal offense, or modify the penalty for an
    6         existing criminal offense be referred, upon filing and
    7         before consideration, by the Office of Legislative
    8         Services to the Office of Economic and Demographic
    9         Research for preparation of a minority impact
   10         statement; authorizing the Office of Economic and
   11         Demographic Research to request the assistance of an
   12         executive agency in preparing the statement; requiring
   13         the executive agency to provide such assistance upon
   14         request; specifying requirements for the statement;
   15         requiring the Office of Economic and Demographic
   16         Research to issue a finding as to whether the bill has
   17         a disparate impact on members of racial minority
   18         groups; requiring that the bill sponsor take certain
   19         action if the Office of Economic and Demographic
   20         Research finds a disparate impact on racial minority
   21         groups; requiring that, if a statement is required of
   22         the sponsor, it be included as an appendix to the
   23         minority impact statement; providing an effective
   24         date.
   25          
   26  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   27  
   28         Section 1. Section 11.63, Florida Statutes, is created to
   29  read:
   30         11.63 Minority impact statements.—
   31         (1) Upon filing, and before it may be considered, any bill
   32  that creates a new criminal offense, modifies an existing
   33  criminal offense, or modifies the penalty for an existing
   34  criminal offense shall be referred by the Office of Legislative
   35  Services to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research for
   36  preparation of a minority impact statement. The Office of
   37  Economic and Demographic Research may request the assistance of
   38  an executive agency in preparing the required statement, and the
   39  agency shall promptly provide all necessary information to the
   40  Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
   41         (2) The minority impact statement must include an estimate
   42  of the number of criminal cases per year that the bill will
   43  affect, the effect of the bill on members of racial minority
   44  groups and on the operations of correctional institutions, and
   45  any other matter that the Office of Economic and Demographic
   46  Research considers appropriate. In preparing the minority impact
   47  statement, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research shall
   48  issue a finding as to whether the bill has a disparate impact on
   49  members of racial minority groups.
   50         (3) If the minority impact statement indicates a disparate
   51  impact on members of racial minority groups, the sponsor of the
   52  bill shall consider whether to amend it to achieve its purpose
   53  with a lessened impact on members of racial minority groups. If
   54  the sponsor of the bill elects not to amend the bill, he or she
   55  shall provide in writing his or her reasons for advancing the
   56  bill without amendment despite the findings of the statement.
   57  The sponsor’s statement shall be included as an appendix to the
   58  minority impact statement.
   59         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.