BILL SUMMARY DETAILS

HB 577 (Omphroy) requires law enforcement agencies to maintain a database tracking excessive use of force incidents. The bill provides for suspension of funding for local law enforcement agencies that fail to comply with data collection and reporting requirements. The bill also requires each law enforcement agency to annually review and revise its use of force policy and require each of its officers to attend a training class that reviews the policy. Also included in the bill is an annual reporting requirement to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and direction for the Department to maintain the reports in a publicly accessible format. (Taggart)

SB 452 (Bracy) and HB 569 (Chambliss) require law enforcement agencies to require officers to wear body cameras and use vehicle dash cameras while on duty. The bills do not provide a funding source for law enforcement agencies to comply with the bill. (Taggart)

HB 197 (Gregory) adds service as a law enforcement officer as grounds for increased criminal penalties for certain criminal offenses that occur due to a prejudice because of their service as a law enforcement officer. The bill also authorizes agencies to include crisis intervention training in the course curriculum for initial certification training. (Taggart)

HB 187 (McCurdy) and SB 878 (Thurston) prohibit law enforcement agencies from purchasing certain surplus military equipment. The bills also prohibit law enforcement agencies from using tear gas and kinetic impact munitions on an assembly or protest unless the gathering has been declared unlawful. (Taggart)

HB 647 (Davis) and SB 942 (Gibson) require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to adopt rules establishing minimum requirements for policies of law enforcement agencies relating to demilitarization, use of force, intelligence-led policing, officer qualifications and canine units. The bills also require FDLE to create a model document for law enforcement agencies relating to several law enforcement procedures. (Taggart)

SB 438 (Bracy) requires law enforcement agencies to have a written policy regarding the investigation of officer-involved deaths. The bill also requires law enforcement agencies to use at least two investigators who are not employed by the agency. Traffic-related, officer-involved deaths would be required to be investigated by a crash reconstruction unit not employed by the agency. Reports by the investigators must be provided to the state attorney in the judicial circuit where the officer-involved death occurred. (Taggart)

SB 518 (Diaz), CS/CS/SB 44 (Wright), HB 433 (Andrade) and HB 1049 (Giallombardo) allow police and fire departments to use drones to manage crowd control and traffic as well as gather evidence at a crime or traffic crash scene. The bills permit a state agency or political subdivision to operate drones for assessing damage after a natural disaster. (Branch)

HB 213 (Andrade) preempts Cabinet members from adopting any regulations relating to firearms and ammunition. (Taggart)

HB 877 (Bell) authorizes first responders (EMTs and paramedics) to carry a concealed firearm while performing his or her duties. The bill requires the first responder to hold a valid concealed carry license and complete an extensive training program. The bill also requires the first responder to complete a psychological evaluation prior to receiving approval to carry a firearm while on duty. The bill mandates that the employment agency must fund the trainings required under the bill but does not designate a funding source. (Taggart)

SB 450 (Bracy), SB 446 (Bracy) and HB 1147 (Benjamin) require each county to establish a citizens review board to independently investigate each law enforcement agency within the county. The bills would require one member of the citizens review board to participate in a law enforcement agency's investigative team for any complaints related to use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy and discriminatory language. (Taggart)

SB 732 (Bracy) increases the amount of time a law enforcement agency must retain body camera recordings from 90 days to 365 days. (Taggart)

SB 296 (Taddeo) – Public Records Relating to Redistricting

SB 972 (Rodriguez) and HB 1019 (Casello) – Administrative Entity Telecommunication Meetings

SB 1286 (Rodriguez) – Records Retention for Emergency Communications

HB 1355 (Arrington) and SB 1602 (Stewart) – Public Records exemption for County Attorneys and Assistant County Attorneys

HB 7015 (Commerce Committee) and SB 1914 (Burgess) – Public Records Exemption for Social Media Investigations

HB 1207 (Beltran) and SB 1488 (Stargel) exempt from public records the home address, telephone numbers and the dates of birth of current members of the Legislature and Cabinet officers. The bills also exempt the information of their spouses and children. (Taggart)

HB 781 (Robinson) and CS/SB 844 (Hooper) authorize the clerk of circuit court to give access to information recorded in the official records of a county that is otherwise exempt from public records requirements to specified parties such as attorneys who are admitted to the Florida Bar, members in good standing, authorized title insurers, their affiliates, title insurance agents or title insurance agencies, financial institutions and their affiliates and entities that provide access to title information, tax information and document images for insurance companies, real estate and mortgage investors, attorneys and governmental agencies through a limited access licensing agreement. (Taggart)

CS/SB 400 (Rodrigues) and CS/HB 913 (McClure) prohibit a city, after receiving a public record request, from filing an action for declaratory judgement against the individual or entity making the request. The bills would prevent cities from seeking clarification from the courts as to whether a record is exempt or exempt and confidential. (Taggart)

SB 456 (Bracy) requires meetings between the chief executive officer of a municipality or its representative and the municipality’s governing body to discuss disciplinary procedures for a law enforcement officer to be subject to Florida’s public meeting requirements. (Taggart)

HB 1217 (Daley) and SB 1494 (Cruz) suspend the physical quorum requirement for local governmental bodies during a declared state of emergency. The bills would allow meetings of any board or commission to be held via telephone, real-time videoconferencing or similar real-time electronic or video communication for no more than six months from the start of the declared state of emergency, unless extended by the governor by executive order. (Taggart)

SB 298 (Taddeo) requires municipalities to provide an electronic payment option for any fee related to a public records request. (Taggart)

HB 1079 (Mariano) and SB 1616 (Brodeur) – Agency Contracts for Commodities and Contractual Services 

HB 1137 (Fabricio) and SB 1448 (Jones) – Information Technology Procurement

SB 2010 (Diaz) and HB 7017 (Public Integrity & Elections Committee) require local governments that receive any grant or gift of $50,000 or more from any foreign government, agency or individual to disclose the grant or gift to the Department of Financial Services within 30 days of receipt. Anyone seeking a grant or contract from a local government for more than $50,000 would be required to disclose to the local government any contracts they may have with China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria or Venezuela. Any individual who fails to disclose a contract captured under the bills would be liable for a civil violation with a fine of $5,000 and may be removed from their position by the governor. The bills also prohibit local governments from participating in any agreement from the countries listed above to establish a program to promote the language or culture of those countries. (Taggart)