Bill Text: FL S1198 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

Florida Senate Bill 1198 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Public Meetings and Public Records/Community Violence Task Force

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability [S1198 Detail]

Download: Florida-2022-S1198-Introduced.html

       Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1198
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       35-00885-22                                           20221198__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public meetings and public records;
    3         providing an exemption from public meetings
    4         requirements for portions of meetings of the Community
    5         Violence Task Force during which exempt or
    6         confidential and exempt information is discussed;
    7         requiring the recording and transcription of exempt
    8         portions of such meetings; providing an exemption from
    9         public records requirements for such recordings and
   10         transcripts; providing an exception; providing a
   11         statement of public necessity; providing a contingent
   12         effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Present subsections (6) and (7) of Section 1 of
   17  SB ____ or similar legislation, are redesignated as subsections
   18  (7) and (8), respectively, and a new subsection (6) is added to
   19  that section, to read:
   20         (6)(a) Any portion of a meeting of the Community Violence
   21  Task Force during which exempt or confidential and exempt
   22  information is discussed is exempt from s. 286.011, Florida
   23  Statutes, and s. 24(b), Article I of the State Constitution.
   24         (b) No portion of an exempt meeting under paragraph (a) may
   25  be off the record. All exempt portions of such meeting must be
   26  recorded and transcribed. Such recordings and transcripts are
   27  confidential and exempt from disclosure under s. 119.07(1),
   28  Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State
   29  Constitution unless a court of competent jurisdiction, after an
   30  in camera review, determines that the meeting was not restricted
   31  to the discussion of exempt or confidential and exempt
   32  information as obtained by the Community Violence Task Force.
   33         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   34  necessity that any portion of a meeting of the Community
   35  Violence Task Force during which exempt or confidential and
   36  exempt information is discussed be made exempt from s. 286.011,
   37  Florida Statutes, and s. 24(b), Article I of the State
   38  Constitution. The purpose of the task force is to investigate
   39  system failures and the causes of high crime rates and gun
   40  violence incidents in urban core neighborhoods and communities.
   41  In addition, the task force shall develop recommendations for
   42  solutions, programs, services, and strategies for improved
   43  interagency communications between local and state government
   44  agencies which will help facilitate the reduction of crime and
   45  gun violence in urban core neighborhoods and communities. In
   46  order to fulfill its directive, the task force must be able to
   47  discuss exempt or confidential and exempt information that it
   48  receives as part of its investigation. The public meetings
   49  exemption will allow the task force to review and discuss exempt
   50  or confidential and exempt information that will be useful in
   51  forming meaningful recommendations for system improvements and
   52  improved interagency communications. As such, it is necessary
   53  that those portions of meetings wherein exempt or confidential
   54  and exempt information is discussed be made exempt from public
   55  meetings requirements. If such portions of the meeting are not
   56  closed, the public records exemptions would be negated. Thus,
   57  the Legislature finds that the public meetings exemption is a
   58  public necessity in order to ensure the effective and efficient
   59  administration of the Community Violence Task Force. The
   60  Legislature further finds that the public records exemption for
   61  recordings and transcripts of closed portions of meetings of the
   62  task force is a public necessity in order to avoid disclosure of
   63  any information discussed that is subject to existing public
   64  records exemptions.
   65         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   66  SB ____ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   67  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   68  thereof and becomes a law.