Fla. Stat. § 250.535 — Florida Code / Title XVII / Chapter 250 / Part II / Section 250.535
250.535 Definitions; mutual assistance and support.
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this compact: (a) “Drug interdiction and counter-drug activities” means the use of National Guard personnel, while not in federal service, in any law enforcement support activities that are intended to reduce the supply or use of illegal drugs in the United States. These activities include, but are not limited to: 1. Providing information obtained during either the normal course of military training or operations or during counter-drug activities, to federal, state, or local law enforcement officials that may be relevant to a violation of any federal or state law within the jurisdiction of such officials. 2. Making available any equipment, including associated supplies or spare parts, base facilities, or research facilities of the National Guard to any federal, state, or local civilian law enforcement official for law enforcement purposes, in accordance with other applicable law or regulations. 3. Providing available National Guard personnel to train federal, state, or local civilian law enforcement in the operation and maintenance of equipment, including equipment made available by subparagraph 2., in accordance with other applicable law. 4. Providing available National Guard personnel to operate and maintain equipment provided to federal, state, or local law enforcement officials pursuant to activities defined and referred to in this compact. 5. Operation and maintenance of equipment and facilities of the National Guard or law enforcement agencies used for the purposes of drug interdiction and counter-drug activities. 6. Providing available National Guard personnel to operate equipment for the detection, monitoring, and communication of the movement of air, land, and sea traffic; to facilitate communication in connection with law enforcement programs; to provide transportation for civilian law enforcement personnel; and to operate bases of operations for civilian law enforcement personnel. 7. Providing available National Guard personnel, equipment, and support for administrative, interpretive, analytic, or other purposes. 8. Providing available National Guard personnel and equipment to aid federal, state, and local officials and agencies otherwise involved in the prosecution or incarceration of individuals processed within the criminal justice system who have been arrested for criminal acts involving the use, distribution, or transportation of controlled substances as defined in 21 U.S.C. ss. 801 et seq., or otherwise by law, in accordance with other applicable law. (b) “Demand reduction” means providing available National Guard personnel, equipment, support, and coordination to federal, state, local, and civic organizations, institutions, and agencies for the purposes of the prevention of drug abuse and reduction in the demand for illegal drugs. (c) “Requesting state” means the state whose Governor requested assistance in the area of counter-drug activities. (d) “Responding state” means the state furnishing assistance or requested to furnish assistance in the area of counter-drug activities. (e) “Law enforcement agency” means a lawfully established federal, state, or local public agency that is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of penal, traffic, regulatory, game, immigration, postal, customs, or controlled substance laws. (f) “Official” means the appointed, elected, designated, or otherwise duly selected representative of an agency, institution, or organization authorized to conduct those activities for which support is requested. (g) “Mutual assistance and support agreement” or “agreement” means an agreement between the National Guard of this state and one or more law enforcement agencies or between the National Guard of this state and the National Guard of one or more other states, consistent with the purposes of this compact. (h) “State” means each of the several states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or possession of the United States. (i) “Party state” refers to a state that has lawfully enacted this compact.

(2) Upon the request of a Governor of a party state for assistance in the area of drug interdiction, counter-drug activities, and demand reduction, the Governor of a responding state shall have authority under this compact to send without the borders of his or her state and place under the temporary operational control of the appropriate National Guard or other military authorities of the requesting state, for the purposes of providing such requested assistance, all or any part of the National Guard forces of his or her state as he or she may deem necessary, and the exercise of his or her discretion in this regard shall be conclusive.

(3) The Governor of a party state may, within his or her discretion, withhold the National Guard forces of his or her state from such use and recall any forces or part or member thereof previously deployed in a requesting state.

(4) The National Guard of this state is hereby authorized to engage in counter-drug activities and demand reduction.

(5) The Adjutant General of this state, in order to further the purposes of this compact, may enter into a mutual assistance and support agreement with one or more law enforcement agencies of this state, including federal law enforcement agencies operating within this state, or with the National Guard of one or more other party states to provide personnel, assets, and services in the area of counter-drug activities and demand reduction, provided that all parties to the agreement are not specifically prohibited by law to perform said activities.

(6) The agreement must set forth the powers, rights, and obligations of the parties to the agreement, where applicable, as follows: (a) Its duration. (b) The organization, composition, and nature of any separate legal entity created thereby. (c) The purpose of the agreement. (d) The manner of financing the agreement and maintaining its budget. (e) The method to be employed in accomplishing the partial or complete termination of the agreement and for disposing of property upon such partial or complete termination. (f) Provision for administering the agreement, which may include creation of a joint board responsible for such administration. (g) The manner of acquiring, holding, and disposing of real and personal property used in this agreement, if necessary. (h) The minimum standards for National Guard personnel implementing the provisions of this agreement. (i) The minimum insurance required of each party to the agreement, if necessary. (j) The chain of command or delegation of authority to be followed by National Guard personnel acting under the provisions of the agreement. (k) The duties and authority that the National Guard personnel of each state may exercise. (l) Any other necessary and proper matters.

(7) Agreements prepared under the provisions of this section are exempt from any general law pertaining to intergovernmental agreements.

(8) As a condition precedent to an agreement becoming effective under this part, the agreement must be submitted to and receive the approval of the Office of the Florida Attorney General. The Florida Attorney General may delegate his or her approval authority to the appropriate attorney for the National Guard subject to those conditions which he or she decides are appropriate. Said delegation must be in writing. (a) The Florida Attorney General, or his or her agent in the National Guard, shall approve an agreement submitted under this part unless he or she finds that it is not in proper form, does not meet the requirements set forth in this part, or otherwise does not conform to the laws of this state. If the Attorney General disapproves an agreement, he or she shall provide a written explanation to the Adjutant General of the National Guard. (b) If the Florida Attorney General or the Attorney General’s authorized agent does not disapprove an agreement within 30 days after its submission, it is considered approved.

(9) Whenever National Guard forces of any party state are engaged in the performance of duties in the area of drug interdiction, counter-drug activities, and demand reduction, pursuant to orders, they shall not be held personally liable for any acts or omissions which occur during the performance of their duty.

History: s. 2, ch. 93-283; s. 117, ch. 95-148.