Fla. Stat. § 943.0311 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 943 / Section 943.0311
943.0311 Chief of Domestic Security; duties of the department with respect to domestic security.
Status: in_force

(1) The executive director of the department, or a member of the department designated by the executive director, shall serve as the Chief of Domestic Security. The Chief of Domestic Security shall: (a) Coordinate the efforts of the department in the ongoing assessment of this state’s vulnerability to, and ability to detect, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from, acts of terrorism within or affecting this state and immigration enforcement incidents within or affecting this state. (b) Prepare recommendations for the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which are based upon ongoing assessments to limit the vulnerability of the state to terrorism and immigration enforcement incidents. (c) Coordinate the collection of proposals to limit the vulnerability of the state to terrorism and immigration enforcement incidents. (d) Use regional task forces to support the duties of the department set forth in this section. (e) Use public or private resources to perform the duties assigned to the department under this section.

(2) The chief shall regularly coordinate random audits pursuant to s. 448.095 to ensure compliance and enforcement and shall notify the Department of Commerce of any violations.

(3) The chief shall conduct or cause to be conducted by the personnel and with the resources of the state agency, state university, or community college that owns or leases a building, facility, or structure, security assessments of buildings, facilities, and structures owned or leased by state agencies, state universities, and community colleges using methods and instruments made available by the department. Each entity making such an assessment shall prioritize its security needs based on the findings of its assessment. Each state agency, state university, and community college shall cooperate with the department and provide the assistance of employees within existing resources to provide to the chief information in the format requested by the chief. The chief must report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives if any state agency, state university, or community college substantially fails to cooperate with the chief in making a security assessment of the buildings, facilities, and structures of the state agency, state university, or community college. Assessments of any building, facility, or structure owned or leased by a state agency, state university, or community college not previously provided to the chief must be completed by the state agency, state university, or community college and provided to the chief before occupying or substantially modifying such building, facility, or structure. The chief may request additional assessments to ensure that the security assessments of buildings, facilities, and structures, owned or leased by state agencies, state universities, and community colleges, remain reasonably current and valid.

(4) The chief shall report suggestions for specific and significant security enhancements of any building, facility, or structure owned or leased by a state agency, state university, or community college or any entity that has conducted an assessment under subsection (6). Such suggestions must be submitted to the Domestic Security Oversight Council for inclusion in the report required under s. 943.0313(6). The chief may use the assessments provided under subsection (6) in making his or her suggestions. The report shall suggest strategies to maximize federal funds in support of building or facility security if such funds are available.

(5) To promote the continued safety of government buildings, facilities, and structures within the state, the chief shall work in conjunction with state agencies, state universities, community colleges, and local governments to recommend and implement best practices for safety and security of buildings, facilities, and structures owned or leased by state agencies, state universities, community colleges, and local governments. The chief may enlist the assistance of the State Fire Marshal and other domestic security partners in developing the recommended best practices. Best practices may be revised or enhanced by the chief as necessary. The recommended best practices are not a rule as defined in chapter 120.

(6) The chief shall communicate to local governments and water management districts the importance of conducting security assessments of buildings, facilities, and structures owned or leased by such local governments or water management districts, and the options local governments and water management districts should consider in obtaining security assessments. The cost of any security assessment of a building, facility, or structure owned or leased by a local government or water management district shall be borne by the local government or water management district, as applicable.

(7) The chief may communicate to private entities the options private entities should consider in obtaining security assessments and may solicit private entities for the purpose of communicating such options. The cost of any security assessment of a private entity shall be borne by the private entity. Private entities are urged to cooperate with and assist the department in meeting its responsibilities for domestic security.

(8) As used in this section, the term “state agency” includes the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Citrus, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Education, the Department of Elderly Affairs, the Division of Emergency Management, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Financial Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Legal Affairs, the Department of Management Services, the Department of Military Affairs, the Department of Revenue, the Department of State, the Department of the Lottery, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the State Board of Administration, and the Executive Office of the Governor.

History: s. 3, ch. 2001-365; s. 1, ch. 2004-258; s. 3, ch. 2005-165; s. 443, ch. 2011-142; s. 315, ch. 2014-19; s. 30, ch. 2014-191; s. 95, ch. 2018-110; s. 15, ch. 2023-40; s. 237, ch. 2024-6; s. 5, ch. 2025-83.