Fla. Stat. § 943.0313 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 943 / Section 943.0313
943.0313 Domestic Security Oversight Council.
Status: in_force

The Legislature finds that there exists a need to provide executive direction and leadership with respect to terrorism and immigration enforcement incident prevention, preparation, protection, response, and recovery efforts by state and local agencies in this state. In recognition of this need, the Domestic Security Oversight Council is hereby created. The council shall serve as an advisory council pursuant to s. 20.03(7) to provide guidance to the state’s regional domestic security task forces and other domestic security working groups and to make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the expenditure of funds and allocation of resources related to counter-terrorism and cooperating with and providing assistance to the Federal Government in the enforcement of federal immigration laws and domestic security efforts.

(1) MEMBERSHIP. — (a) The Domestic Security Oversight Council shall consist of the following voting members: 1. The executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement. 2. The director of the Division of Emergency Management. 3. The Attorney General. 4. The Commissioner of Agriculture. 5. The State Surgeon General. 6. The Commissioner of Education. 7. The State Fire Marshal. 8. The adjutant general of the Florida National Guard. 9. The state chief information officer. 10. Each sheriff or chief of police who serves as a co-chair of a regional domestic security task force pursuant to s. 943.0312(1)(b). 11. Each of the department’s special agents in charge who serve as a co-chair of a regional domestic security task force. 12. Two representatives of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. 13. One representative of the Florida Police Chiefs Association. 14. One representative of the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association. 15. One statewide domestic security intelligence representative selected by the chair of the Florida Fusion Center Executive Advisory Board. 16. One representative of the Florida Hospital Association. 17. One representative of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. 18. One representative of the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association. 19. One representative of the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council. (b) In addition to the members designated in paragraph (a), the council may invite other ex officio, nonvoting members to attend and participate in council meetings. Those nonvoting members may include, but need not be limited to: 1. The executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. 2. The Secretary of Health Care Administration. 3. The Secretary of Environmental Protection. 4. The director of the Division of Law Enforcement within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 5. A representative of the Commission on Human Relations. 6. A representative of the United States Coast Guard. 7. A United States Attorney from a federal judicial circuit within this state. 8. A special agent in charge from an office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation within this state. 9. A representative of the United States Department of Homeland Security. 10. A representative of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 11. A representative of United States Customs and Border Protection.

(2) ORGANIZATION. — (a) The Legislature finds that the council serves a legitimate state, county, and municipal purpose and that service on the council is consistent with a member’s principal service in public office or employment. Membership on the council does not disqualify a member from holding any other public office or being employed by a public entity, except that a member of the Legislature may not serve on the council. (b) The executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement shall serve as chair of the council, and the director of the Division of Emergency Management shall serve as vice chair of the council. In the absence of the chair, the vice chair shall serve as chair. In the absence of the vice chair, the chair may name any member of the council to perform the duties of the chair if such substitution does not extend beyond a defined meeting, duty, or period of time. (c) Any absent voting member of the council may be represented by a designee empowered to act on any issue before the council to the same extent that the designating member is empowered. If a co-chair of a regional domestic security task force is absent from a council meeting, the co-chair shall appoint a subcommittee chair of that task force as the designee. (d) The council shall establish bylaws for its general governance. (e) Any member of the council serving by reason of the office or employment held by the member shall cease to serve on the council at such time as he or she ceases to hold the office or employment which was the basis for appointment to the council. (f) Representatives from agencies or organizations other than those designated by title shall be chosen by the entity. Except for those individuals designated by title, council members shall be certified annually to the chair by the organization they represent. (g) Members of the council or their designees shall serve without compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061. (h) The department shall provide the council with the staff support necessary to assist in the performance of its duties.

(3) MEETINGS. — The council must meet at least semiannually. Additional meetings may be held as necessary. A majority of the members of the council constitutes a quorum.

(4) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. — (a) The council shall establish an executive committee consisting of the following members: 1. The executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement. 2. The director of the Division of Emergency Management. 3. The Attorney General. 4. The Commissioner of Agriculture. 5. The State Surgeon General. 6. The Commissioner of Education. 7. The State Fire Marshal. (b) The executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement shall serve as the chair of the executive committee, and the director of the Division of Emergency Management shall serve as the vice chair of the executive committee. (c) The executive committee shall approve all matters brought before the council prior to consideration. When expedited action of the council is deemed necessary by the chair or vice chair, the executive committee may act on behalf of the council.

(5) DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL. — (a) The Domestic Security Oversight Council shall serve as an advisory council to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Chief of Domestic Security. The council shall: 1. Review the development, maintenance, and operation of a comprehensive multidisciplinary domestic security strategy that will guide the state’s prevention, preparedness, protection, response, and recovery efforts against terrorist attacks and immigration enforcement incidents and make appropriate recommendations to ensure the implementation of that strategy. 2. Review the development of integrated funding plans to support specific projects, goals, and objectives necessary to the state’s domestic security strategy and make appropriate recommendations to implement those plans. 3. Review and recommend approval of prioritized recommendations from regional domestic security task forces and state working groups on the use of available funding to ensure the use of such funds in a manner that best promotes the goals of statewide, regional, and local domestic security through coordinated planning and implementation strategies. 4. Review and recommend approval of statewide policies and operational protocols that support the domestic security efforts of the regional domestic security task forces and state agencies. 5. Review the overall statewide effectiveness of domestic security efforts, counter-terrorism efforts, and efforts of coordinating with and providing assistance to the Federal Government in the enforcement of federal immigration laws in order to provide suggestions to improve or enhance those efforts. 6. Review the efforts of any agency or entity involved in state or local domestic security efforts, counter-terrorism efforts, and efforts of coordination with and providing assistance to the Federal Government in the enforcement of federal immigration laws that requests assistance or that appears to need such review in order to provide suggestions to improve or enhance those efforts. 7. Review efforts within the state to better secure state and local infrastructure against terrorist attack or immigration enforcement incidents and make recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of such efforts. 8. Review and recommend legislative initiatives related to the state’s domestic security and provide endorsement or recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of such efforts. 9. Review statewide or multiagency mobilizations and responses to major domestic security incidents and recommend suggestions for training, improvement of response efforts, or improvement of coordination or for other strategies that may be derived as necessary from such reviews. 10. Conduct any additional review or inquiry or make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature in support of other initiatives, as may be necessary, to fulfill the function of general oversight of the state’s domestic security efforts, counter-terrorism efforts, and efforts of coordinating with and providing assistance to the Federal Government in the enforcement of federal immigration laws and to promote increased security. 11. Promote and preserve intergovernmental cooperation and consensus among state and local agencies, the Federal Government, private entities, other states, and other nations, as appropriate, under the guidance of the Governor. (b) The Domestic Security Oversight Council shall make an annual funding recommendation to the Governor and Legislature which shall prioritize funding requests based on allocations from all available sources for implementing the state’s domestic security strategy. This recommendation must include the prioritized recommendations of each of the regional domestic security task forces and the various working groups that participate in the prioritization process for funding allocations. The recommendation must reflect the consideration of strategic priorities and allocations that best serve the state’s overall domestic security needs. The recommendation shall be transmitted to the Governor and the Legislature by December 31 of each year. If additional funds become available, or reallocation of funding is required beyond current spending authorizations, the council may make recommendations to the Governor for consideration by the Legislative Budget Commission.

(6) REPORTS. — The council shall report annually on its activities, on or before December 31 of each calendar year, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the committees having principal jurisdiction over domestic security in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The report shall include information submitted by the Chief of Domestic Security as required under s. 943.0311(4).

(7) AGENCY DESIGNATION. — For purposes of this section, the Domestic Security Oversight Council shall be considered a criminal justice agency within the definition of s. 119.011(4).

History: s. 5, ch. 2005-165; s. 13, ch. 2007-105; s. 111, ch. 2008-6; s. 444, ch. 2011-142; s. 17, ch. 2023-40; s. 4, ch. 2025-83.