Florida 2023 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0971 Analysis / Analysis

Filed 03/27/2023

                    This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives. 
STORAGE NAME: h0971.LFS 
DATE: 3/27/2023 
 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS  
 
BILL #: HM 971    Florida National Guard 
SPONSOR(S): Daley 
TIED BILLS:   IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SM 1036 
 
REFERENCE 	ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or 
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF 
1) Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special 
Districts Subcommittee 
 	Mwakyanjala Darden 
2) State Affairs Committee    
SUMMARY ANALYSIS 
The Florida National Guard consists of organized, armed, equipped, and federally recognized enlisted 
personnel, commissioned officers, and warrant officers who are citizens of the United States, or who have 
declared their intention to become citizens of the United States. The Governor is the commander in chief of all 
militia of the state and is responsible for appointing the Adjutant General, who serves as the Commanding 
General of the state’s militia. As of September 2022, the FLNG was composed of 10,314 personnel in the 
Army National Guard and 2,165 personnel in the Air National Guard, for total authorized personnel of 12,479.   
 
At the federal level, the National Guard Bureau functions as the channel of communications on all matters 
pertaining to the National Guard between the Departments of the Army and the Air Force and the states. The 
National Guard Bureau is required to submit an annual report to the Secretary of Defense identifying the 
personnel, training, and equipment required by the non-federalized National Guard.  
 
The memorial urges the United States Congress to require the United States National Guard Bureau to 
examine the resource allocations authorized for the Florida National Guard and allow an increase in its force 
structure. 
 
Legislative memorials are not subject to the Governor’s veto powers and are not presented to the Governor for 
review. Memorials have no force of law, as they are mechanisms for formally petitioning the federal 
government to act on a particular subject. 
 
This memorial does not have a fiscal impact on the state or local governments. 
 
The memorial is not subject to the Governor’s veto powers. 
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DATE: 3/27/2023 
  
FULL ANALYSIS 
I.  SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS 
 
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES: 
Present Situation 
 
National Guard 
 
The National Defense Act of 1916
1
 established the National Guard Bureau (NGB) as a separate unit of 
the militia division of the federal government.
2
 In 1948, the Secretary of Defense of the United States 
issued an order designating the NGB as a joint bureau of the Departments of the Army and Air Force.
3
 
The NGB functions as the channel of communications on all matters pertaining to the National Guard 
between the Departments of the Army and the Air Force and the states.
4
 The Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretaries of the Army and the Air 
Force, prescribes a charter for the NGB that includes the allocation of unit structure and strength 
authorizations for the National Guard in each state.
5
 The NGB is required to submit an annual report to 
the Secretary of Defense, through the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force, identifying the 
personnel, training, and equipment required by the non-federalized National Guard.
6
 
 
The National Guard is unique among militia in that it serves the country in both the local community and 
overseas. The dual mission of a Guard member means that each member serves through both the 
National Guard of the state and through the U.S. Army or the U.S. Air Force.
7
  
 
Florida National Guard 
 
The Florida National Guard (FLNG) consists of organized, armed, equipped, and federally recognized 
commissioned officers, warrant officers, and enlisted personnel who are citizens of the United States or 
who have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States. The FLNG has separate 
Army and Air Force components that are subject to the Departments of the Army and the Air Force, 
respectively.
8
 The Governor is the commander in chief of all militia of the state
9
 and is responsible for 
appointing a federally recognized officer of the FLNG to be the Adjutant General, who serves as the 
Commanding General of the state’s organized militia.
10
 
 
As of September 2022, the FLNG was composed of 10,314 personnel in the Army National Guard and 
2,165 personnel in the Air National Guard, for total authorized personnel of 12,479.
11
 The current 
estimated population of Florida is 22,244,823, ranking as the third most populous state.
12
 However, the 
percentage of FLNG personnel compared to the state population is 0.0543% and National Guard 
strength is 54.3 personnel per 100,000 civilians. The ratio of FLNG personnel to general population is 
                                                
1
 National Defense Act of 1916, H.R. 12766 (Public, No. 85) (June 3, 1916). 
2
 National Archives, Guide to Federal Records, Records of the National Guard Bureau (NGB), available at 
https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/168.html (last visited Mar. 10, 2023). 
3
 Id. 
4
 10 U.S.C. s. 10501(b). 
5
 10 U.S.C. s. 10503(1). 
6
 10 U.S.C. s. 10504. 
7
 National Guard, National Guard Fact Sheet, Army National Guard (FY2005), May 3, 2006, available at 
https://www.nationalguard.mil/About-the-Guard/Army-National-Guard/Resources/News/ARNG-Media/FileId/137011/ (last visited Mar. 
10, 2023). 
8
 S. 250.07, F.S. 
9
 Art. IV, s. 1(a), Fla. Const. 
10
 S. 250.10, F.S. 32 U.S.C. S. 314(a) requires an adjutant general in each state and requires the adjutant general to perform the duties 
prescribed by the laws of the state of appointment. 
11
 Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center, Military and Civilian Personnel by Service/Agency by State/Country 
(Updated Quarterly), September 2022, available at https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports (last visited 
on Mar. 7, 2023). Troop numbers are unavailable for December 2022 due to the Army’s conversion of its Integrated Personnel and Pay 
System. Due to this conversion, the Army did not provide military personnel for end-of-December 2022. See Military and Civilian 
Personnel by Service/Agency by State/Country (Updated Quarterly) December 2022, available at 
https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports (last visited on Mar. 7, 2023). 
12
 United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts Florida, available at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/FL (last visited Mar. 7, 2023).  STORAGE NAME: h0971.LFS 	PAGE: 3 
DATE: 3/27/2023 
  
less than states such as Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, or Minnesota that have similarly sized Guard 
contingents but significantly smaller state populations.
13
 
 
Effect of the Memorial 
 
The memorial urges the United States Congress to require the United States National Guard Bureau to 
examine the resource allocations of the Florida National Guard and allow an increase in its force 
structure. Copies of the memorial will be sent to the President of the United States, the President of the 
United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to each 
member of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress. 
 
Legislative memorials are not subject to the Governor’s veto power and are not presented to the 
Governor for review. Memorials have no force of law, as they are mechanisms for formally petitioning 
the federal government to act on a particular subject. 
 
B. SECTION DIRECTORY: 
Not applicable. 
 
II.  FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT 
 
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT: 
 
1. Revenues: 
None. 
 
2. Expenditures: 
None. 
 
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: 
 
1. Revenues: 
None. 
 
2. Expenditures: 
None. 
 
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR: 
None. 
 
D. FISCAL COMMENTS: 
None. 
 
III.  COMMENTS 
 
A. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES: 
 
 1. Applicability of Municipality/County Mandates Provision: 
Not applicable. This memorial does not appear to affect county or municipal governments. 
 
                                                
13
 See “Number of Military and DoD Appropriated Fund (APF) Civilian Personnel” (September 30, 2022), available at 
https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports (last visited Mar. 16, 2023).  STORAGE NAME: h0971.LFS 	PAGE: 4 
DATE: 3/27/2023 
  
 2. Other: 
None. 
 
B. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY: 
The memorial neither authorizes nor requires executive branch rulemaking. 
 
C. DRAFTING ISSUES OR OTHER COMMENTS: 
None. 
 
IV.  AMENDMENTS/COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE CHANGES 
Not applicable.