Florida Senate - 2021                              CS for SB 836
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
       and Senators Jones, Pizzo, Polsky, Farmer, Stewart, and Book
       
       
       
       
       585-03338-21                                           2021836c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to a crime and violence task force;
    3         creating the Urban Core Crime and Violence Task Force
    4         within the Department of Law Enforcement; providing
    5         for membership, duties, and meetings of the task
    6         force; requiring state agencies to provide assistance
    7         when requested; authorizing the task force to receive
    8         exempt or confidential and exempt information and
    9         specifying that the information maintains such status;
   10         requiring the task force to submit a report to the
   11         Governor and Legislature by a specified date;
   12         providing for expiration of the task force; providing
   13         an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Urban Core Crime and Violence Task Force.—
   18         (1)The Urban Core Crime and Violence Task Force, a task
   19  force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created
   20  within the Department of Law Enforcement. Except as otherwise
   21  provided in this section, the task force shall comply with the
   22  requirements of s. 20.052, Florida Statutes.
   23         (2)(a)The task force shall consist of 15 members as
   24  follows:
   25         1.Four members appointed by the Governor, one of whom the
   26  Governor shall designate as the chair of the task force.
   27         2.Four members appointed by the President of the Senate,
   28  two of whom must be members of the Legislative Black Caucus of
   29  the Florida Senate.
   30         3.Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   31  Representatives, two of whom must be members of the Legislative
   32  Black Caucus of the Florida House of Representatives.
   33         4.A representative from the Florida Sheriffs Association,
   34  nominated by the executive director and appointed by the
   35  Governor.
   36         5.A representative from the Florida Police Chiefs
   37  Association, nominated by the executive director and appointed
   38  by the Governor.
   39         6.The Secretary of Children and Families, or his or her
   40  designee.
   41         (b)Members must be appointed no later than August 1, 2021.
   42  Members serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed them,
   43  and a vacancy on the task force must be filled in the same
   44  manner as the original appointment. Members of the task force
   45  shall serve without compensation, but are entitled to
   46  reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s.
   47  112.061, Florida Statutes.
   48         (c)The task force shall meet at the call of the chair at a
   49  time and location in this state designated by the chair. The
   50  task force may not conduct its meetings by teleconference or
   51  other electronic means.
   52         (3)The task force shall review system failures and the
   53  causes of high crime rates and violence in urban core
   54  neighborhoods and communities. In addition, the task force shall
   55  develop recommendations for solutions, programs, services, and
   56  strategies for improved interagency communication between local
   57  and state governmental agencies to help facilitate the reduction
   58  of crime and violence in urban core neighborhoods and
   59  communities.
   60         (4)The Department of Law Enforcement shall provide
   61  staffing and administrative assistance to the task force in
   62  performing its duties. The task force may call upon other state
   63  agencies for such professional assistance as may be needed in
   64  the discharge of its duties, and such agencies shall provide
   65  such assistance in a timely manner.
   66         (5)Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the task
   67  force may request and shall be provided with access to any
   68  information or records that pertain to crime or violent
   69  incidents in this state’s urban core neighborhoods and
   70  communities. Information or records obtained by the task force
   71  which are otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt shall
   72  retain such exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the
   73  task force may not disclose any such information or records.
   74         (6)The task force shall submit a report on its findings
   75  and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the
   76  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by June
   77  1, 2023.
   78         (7)This section expires June 30, 2023.
   79         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.