STORAGE NAME: h4015e.SAC
DATE: 4/2/2025
1
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BILL ANALYSIS
This bill analysis was prepared by nonpartisan committee staff and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
BILL #: HB 4015
TITLE: Broward County Narcotics and Dangerous Drug
Intelligence and Enforcement Unit, Broward County
SPONSOR(S): Woodson
COMPANION BILL: None
LINKED BILLS: None
RELATED BILLS: None
Committee References
Intergovernmental Affairs
16 Y, 0 N
Criminal Justice
18 Y, 0 N
State Affairs
25 Y, 0 N
SUMMARY
Effect of the Bill:
The bill repeals the special act creating the Broward County Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Intelligence and
Enforcement Unit, a specialized interagency unit that appears to have been defunct since the mid-1970s.
Fiscal or Economic Impact:
None.
JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
ANALYSIS
EFFECT OF THE BILL:
The bill repeals ch. 71-574, Laws of Fla., which created the Broward County Narcotics and Dangerous Drug
Intelligence and Enforcement Unit. The unit was originally created as an interagency unit to combat narcotic and
other drugs, but appears to have been defunct since the mid-1970s. (Section 1)
The bill provides an effective date of upon becoming a law. (Section 2)
RELEVANT INFORMATION
SUBJECT OVERVIEW:
Broward County Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Intelligence and Enforcement Unit
The Broward County Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Intelligence and Enforcement Unit (unit) was created as a
voluntary unit to provide county-wide enforcement of narcotics and drug abuse laws through the cooperative
participation between all law enforcement agencies within the county.
1 Participating agencies assigned one or
more officers, deputies, or investigators to temporary full-time duty with the unit.
2 Participating police agencies
could include municipal police departments, the Broward County School Board’s Security Division, and the
Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).
3
The Broward County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), upon a recommendation from the Broward County
Sheriff, was responsible for establishing the budget for the office as a part of the annual budget for the BCSO.
4 The
budget contained the salaries for sheriff deputies assigned to the unit and administrative expenses, while the
salaries of municipal police officers detailed to the unit remained the responsibility of their employing agency.
5
1
Ch. 71-574, s. 2, Laws of Fla.
2
Ch. 71-574, s. 4, Laws of Fla.
3
Id.
4
Ch. 71-574, s. 6, Laws of Fla.
5
Ch. 71-574, ss. 5 and 6, Laws of Fla. JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
2
The unit supervisor was required to submit a quarterly report on the unit’s accomplishments and financial
condition to the Broward County BOCC, the Broward County Chiefs of Police Association, and participating
municipalities.
6 The most recent record of the unit in the Broward County BOCC meeting minutes is from
November 19, 1974.
7
Currently, the BCSO Strategic Investigations Division houses two units related to drug enforcement: the Major
Narcotics Investigation Unit (Broward County Drug Task Force) and the Narcotic Interdiction Unit.
8
Local Bill Forms
The Florida Constitution prohibits the passage of any special act unless a notice of intention to seek enactment of
the bill has been published as provided by general law or the act is conditioned to take effect only upon approval
by referendum vote of the electors in the area affected.
9 A legal advertisement of the proposed bill must be placed
in a newspaper of general circulation or published on a publicly accessible website
10 at least 30 days prior to the
introduction of the local bill in the House or Senate.
11 The bill was noticed in Sun-Sentinel on January 11, 2025.
The House local bill policy requires a completed and signed Local Bill Certification Form and Economic Impact
Statement Form be filed with the Clerk of the House at the time the local bill is filed or as soon thereafter as
possible.
12 Under the policy, a committee or subcommittee may not consider a local bill unless these forms have
been filed. The following forms have been submitted for the bill:
Local Bill Certification Form
Economic Impact Statement Form
BILL HISTORY
COMMITTEE REFERENCE ACTION DATE
STAFF
DIRECTOR/
POLICY CHIEF
ANALYSIS
PREPARED BY
Intergovernmental Affairs
Subcommittee
16 Y, 0 N 3/12/2025 Darden Jones
Criminal Justice Subcommittee 18 Y, 0 N 3/19/2025 Hall Padgett
State Affairs Committee 25 Y, 0 N 4/2/2025 Williamson Jones
6
Ch. 71-574, s. 7, Laws of Fla.
7
Broward County, November 19, 1974 Meeting Minutes (last visited Mar. 14, 2025). These meeting minutes refer to the unit as
the Metropolitan Enforcement Group. See Broward County, March 20, 1973 Meeting Minutes (last visited Mar. 14, 2025)
(referring to the Metropolitan Enforcement Group as “[the] formerly titled, Broward County Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
Intelligence and Enforcement Unit.”)
8
BCSO, Strategic Investigations (last visited Mar. 14, 2025).
9
Art. III, s. 10, Fla. Const.
10
S. 50.0311(2), F.S.
11
S. 11.02, F.S. If there is no newspaper circulated throughout or published in the county and no publicly accessible website
has been designated, notice must be posted for at least 30 days in at least three public places in the county, one of which must
be at the courthouse.
12
Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee, Local Bill Policies and Procedures Manual, p. 11 (last visited Mar. 14, 2025).