Senate Bill 1464 (2023) — Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities
SB 1464
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1464 By Senator Powell 24-01310-23 20231464__ Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Commission on Public Safety in 2 Urban and Inner-City Communities; providing a short 3 title; providing legislative findings and intent; 4 creating the Commission on Public Safety in Urban and 5 Inner-City Communities; providing for membership and 6 staff support; providing requirements for meetings; 7 specifying duties; providing for powers; requiring the 8 executive director of the Department of Law 9 Enforcement to issue subpoenas; authorizing the 10 commission to seek assistance from state agencies and 11 to access certain exempt or confidential and exempt 12 information or records; providing requirements for 13 such access; requiring reports; providing for sunset 14 of the commission and the repeal of provisions; 15 providing an appropriation; providing an effective 16 date. 17 18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19 20
Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Public Safety in 21 Urban and Inner-City Communities Act.” 22
Section 2. The Legislature finds that there is a need to 23 comprehensively address the crisis of crime and gun violence in 24 Florida’s urban and inner-city communities. The Legislature 25 intends to address this crisis by providing cities, counties, 26 and local and state law enforcement agencies and the courts with 27 the tools to enhance and promote safe neighborhoods and 28 communities by enhanced coordination between local and state law 29
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1464 24-01310-23 20231464__ Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. enforcement entities. 30
Section 3. Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner-31 City Communities.— 32
(1) There is created within the Department of Law 33 Enforcement the Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner-34 City Communities, a commission as defined in s. 20.03(10), 35 Florida Statutes. 36 (2)(
a) The commission shall convene no later than September 37 1, 2023, and shall be composed of 16 members. Five members shall 38 be appointed by the President of the Senate, five members shall 39 be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 40 five members shall be appointed by the Governor. The chair of 41 the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, or his 42 or her designee, shall serve as a member of the commission. From 43 the members of the commission, the Governor shall appoint the 44 chair. Appointments must be made by August 1, 2023.
The 45 Commissioner of the Department of Law Enforcement, the Secretary 46 of Juvenile Justice, and the Secretary of Children and Families 47 shall serve as ex-officio and nonvoting members of the 48 commission. Members shall serve at the pleasure of the officer 49 who appointed the member. A vacancy on the commission shall be 50 filled in the same manner as the original appointment. 51 (
b) The General Counsel of the Department of Law 52 Enforcement shall serve as the general counsel for the 53 commission. 54 (
c) Department of Law Enforcement staff and Department of 55 Juvenile Justice staff, as assigned by the chair, shall assist 56 the commission in performing its duties. 57 (
d) The commission shall meet on a quarterly basis or as 58
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1464 24-01310-23 20231464__ Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. necessary to conduct its work at the call of the chair and at a 59 time designated by the chair at locations throughout the state. 60 The commission may not conduct its meetings through 61 teleconferences or other similar means. 62 (
e) Members of the commission are entitled to receive 63 reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 64 112.061, Florida Statutes. 65
(3) The commission shall investigate system failures and 66 the causes and reasons for high crime and gun violence incidents 67 in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities. In 68 addition, the commission shall develop recommendations for 69 solutions, programs, services, and strategies for improved 70 interagency communications between local and state government 71 agencies that will help facilitate the reduction of crime and 72 gun violence in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and 73 communities. 74
(4) The commission has the power to investigate. The 75 commission may delegate to its investigators the authority to 76 administer oaths and affirmations. 77
(5) The executive director of the Department of Law 78 Enforcement shall issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of 79 witnesses to testify before the commission and the production of 80 any books, papers, records, documentary evidence, and other 81 items, including exempt or confidential and exempt information 82 or records, relevant to the performance of its duties or to the 83 exercise of its powers. The chair of the commission, or his or 84 her designee, may administer all oaths and affirmations in the 85 manner prescribed by law to witnesses who appear before the 86 commission for the purpose of testifying in any matter of which 87
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1464 24-01310-23 20231464__ Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the commission desires evidence. In the case of a refusal to 88 obey a subpoena, the commission may make application to any 89 circuit court of this state having jurisdiction to order the 90 witness to appear before the commission and to produce evidence, 91 if so ordered, or to give testimony relevant to the matter in 92 question. Failure to obey the order may be punished by the court 93 as contempt. 94
(6) The commission may call upon appropriate state agencies 95 for such professional assistance as may be needed in the 96 discharge of its duties, and such agencies shall provide such 97 assistance in a timely manner. 98
(7) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may 99 request and shall be provided with access to any information or 100 records, including exempt or confidential and exempt information 101 or records, which pertain to crime and gun violence incidents in 102 this state’s urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities. 103 Information or records obtained by the commission that are 104 otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt shall retain such 105 exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the commission may 106 not disclose any such information or records. 107
(8) The commission shall submit an initial report on its 108 findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of 109 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by 110 January 1, 2025, and may issue reports annually thereafter. The 111 commission shall sunset December 31, 2024, and this
section is 112 repealed on that date. 113
Section 4. For fiscal year 2023-2024, the sum of $600,000 114 is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department 115 of Law Enforcement for the operations of the commission. 116
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1464 24-01310-23 20231464__ Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.