Title: Community Violence Task Force

Summary: Creates task force within FDLE; provides for membership, duties, & meetings of task force; requires state agencies to provide assistance when requested by task force; authorizes task force to receive exempt or confidential & exempt information & specifying that information maintains such status; requires task force to submit report to Governor & Legislature by specified date.

Full Text:
An act relating to the Community Violence Task Force; creating the task force within the Department of Law Enforcement; providing for membership, duties, and meetings of the task force; requiring state agencies to provide assistance when requested by the task force; authorizing the task force to receive exempt or confidential and exempt information and specifying that the information maintains such status; requ iring the task force to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature by a specified date; providing for expiration of the task force; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Community Violence Task Force.-(1) The Community Violence Task Force, a task force as defined in s. 20.03(5), Florida Statutes, is created within the Department of Law Enforcement. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the task force shall comply with the requirements of s. 20.052, Florida Statutes. (2)(a) The task force shall consist of the following members: 1. Four members appointed by the Governor, one of whom the HB 2024 Governor shall designate as the chair of the task force. 2. Four members appointed by the President of the Senate, two of whom must be members of the Legislative Black Caucus of the Senate. 3. Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two of whom must be members of the Legislative Black Caucus of the House of Representatives. 4. A representative from the Florida Sheriffs Association, nominated by the executive director and appointed by the Governor. 5. A representative from the Florida Police Chiefs Association, nominated by the executive director and app ointed by the Governor. 6. The Secretary of Children and Families, or his or her designee. (b) Members must be appointed no later than August 1, 2024. Members serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed them, and a vacancy on the task force must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes. (c) The task force shall me et at the call of the chair at a time and location in this state designated by the chair. The task force may not conduct its meetings by teleconference or HB 2024 other electronic means. (3) The task force shall review system failures and the causes of high crim erates and violence in urban core neighborhoods and communities. In addition, the task force shall develop recommendations for solutions, programs, services, and strategies for improved interagency communication between local and state governmental agenci es to help facilitate the reduction of crime and violence in urban core neighborhoods and communities. (4) The Department of Law Enforcement shall provide staffing and administrative assistance to the task force in performing its duties. The task force may call upon other state agencies for such professional assistance as may be needed in the performance of its duties, and such agencies shall provide such assistance in a timely manner. (5) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the task force may request and shall be provided with access to any information or records that pertain to crime or violent incidents in this state's urban core neighborhoods and communities. Information or records obtained by the task force which are otherwis eexempt or confidential and exempt shall retain such exempt or confidential and exempt status, and the task force may not disclose any such information or records. (6) The task force shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Gover nor, the President of the HB 2024 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by June 1, 2026. (7) This section expires June 30, 2026. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.