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Florida Senate - 2025 CS for CS for SB 364 By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; and Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Osgood and Pizzo 594-03709-25 2025364c2 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Council on the Social Status of 3 Black Men and Boys; transferring, renumbering, and 4 amending s. 16.615, F.S.; establishing the council 5 within Florida Memorial University, rather than the 6 Department of Legal Affairs; requiring Florida 7 Memorial University, rather than the Office of the 8 Attorney General, to provide staff and administrative 9 support to the council; providing that the councils 10 meeting times are approved by the president of Florida 11 Memorial University, rather than the Attorney General; 12 revising the quorum requirements to reduce the number 13 of members required for a quorum; authorizing members 14 to appear by communications media technology; 15 providing that members who appear by such technology 16 are considered present and may be counted toward the 17 quorum requirement; providing notice requirements for 18 public meetings or workshops conducted by means of 19 communications media technology; providing that 20 members of the council may be reimbursed for certain 21 expenses by Florida Memorial University, rather than 22 the Department of Legal Affairs; providing an 23 effective date. 24 25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 26 27 Section 1.Section 16.615, Florida Statutes, is 28 transferred, renumbered as section 1001.216, Florida Statutes, 29 and amended to read: 30 1001.216 16.615Council on the Social Status of Black Men 31 and Boys. 32 (1)The Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys 33 is established within Florida Memorial University the Department 34 of Legal Affairs and shall be composed consist of 19 members 35 appointed as follows: 36 (a)Two members of the Senate who are not members of the 37 same political party, appointed by the President of the Senate 38 with the advice of the Minority Leader of the Senate. 39 (b)Two members of the House of Representatives who are not 40 members of the same political party, appointed by the Speaker of 41 the House of Representatives with the advice of the Minority 42 Leader of the House of Representatives. 43 (c)The Secretary of Children and Families, or his or her 44 designee. 45 (d)The director of the Mental Health Program Office within 46 the Department of Children and Families, or his or her designee. 47 (e)The State Surgeon General, or his or her designee. 48 (f)The Commissioner of Education, or his or her designee. 49 (g)The Secretary of Corrections, or his or her designee. 50 (h)The Attorney General, or his or her designee. 51 (i)The Secretary of Management Services, or his or her 52 designee. 53 (j)The Secretary of Commerce, or his or her designee. 54 (k)A businessperson who is an African American, as defined 55 in s. 760.80(2)(a), appointed by the Governor. 56 (l)Two persons appointed by the President of the Senate 57 who are not members of the Legislature or employed by state 58 government. One of the appointees must be a clinical 59 psychologist. 60 (m)Two persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of 61 Representatives who are not members of the Legislature or 62 employed by state government. One of the appointees must be an 63 Africana studies professional. 64 (n)The deputy secretary for Medicaid in the Agency for 65 Health Care Administration, or his or her designee. 66 (o)The Secretary of Juvenile Justice, or his or her 67 designee. 68 (2)Each member of the council shall be appointed to a 4 69 year term; however, for the purpose of providing staggered 70 terms, of the initial appointments, 9 members shall be appointed 71 to 2-year terms and 10 members shall be appointed to 4-year 72 terms. A member of the council may be removed at any time by the 73 members appointing authority who shall fill the vacancy on the 74 council. 75 (3)(a)At the first meeting of the council each year, the 76 members shall elect a chair and a vice chair. 77 (b)A vacancy in the office of chair or vice chair must 78 shall be filled by vote of the remaining members. 79 (4)(a)The council shall make a systematic study of the 80 conditions affecting black men and boys, including, but not 81 limited to, homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, 82 poverty, violence, drug abuse, death rates, disparate annual 83 income levels, school performance in all grade levels including 84 postsecondary levels, and health issues. 85 (b)The council shall propose measures to alleviate and 86 correct the underlying causes of the conditions described in 87 paragraph (a). These measures may consist of changes to the law 88 or systematic changes that can be implemented without 89 legislative action. 90 (c)The council may study other topics suggested by the 91 Legislature or as directed by the chair of the council. 92 (d)The council shall receive suggestions or comments 93 pertinent to the applicable issues from members of the 94 Legislature, governmental agencies, public and private 95 organizations, and private citizens. 96 (e)The council shall develop a strategic program and 97 funding initiative to establish local Councils on the Social 98 Status of Black Men and Boys. 99 (5)The council may: 100 (a)Access data held by any state departments or agencies, 101 which data is otherwise a public record. 102 (b)Make requests directly to the Joint Legislative 103 Auditing Committee for assistance with research and monitoring 104 of outcomes by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and 105 Government Accountability. 106 (c)Request, through council members who are also 107 legislators, research assistance from the Office of Economic and 108 Demographic Research within the Florida Legislature. 109 (d)Request information and assistance from the state or 110 any political subdivision, municipal corporation, public 111 officer, or governmental department thereof. 112 (e)Apply for and accept funds, grants, gifts, and services 113 from the state, the Federal Government or any of its agencies, 114 or any other public or private source for the purpose of 115 defraying clerical and administrative costs as may be necessary 116 for carrying out its duties under this section. 117 (f)Work directly with, or request information and 118 assistance on issues pertaining to education from, Floridas 119 historically black colleges and universities. 120 (6)Florida Memorial University The Office of the Attorney 121 General shall provide staff and administrative support to the 122 council. 123 (7)The council shall meet quarterly and at other times at 124 the call of the chair or as determined by a majority of council 125 members and approved by the president of Florida Memorial 126 University Attorney General. 127 (8)Nine Eleven of the members of the council constitute a 128 quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the members 129 present is required for final action. Members may appear by 130 communications media technology as defined in s. 120.54(5)(b)2. 131 Members who appear by communications media technology are 132 considered present and may be counted toward the quorum 133 requirement. A notice for a public meeting or workshop must 134 state whether the meeting or workshop will be conducted using 135 communications media technology, how an interested person may 136 participate, and the location of facilities where communications 137 media technology will be available during the meeting or 138 workshop. 139 (9)The council shall issue its annual report by December 140 15 each year, stating the findings, conclusions, and 141 recommendations of the council. The council shall submit the 142 report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker 143 of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons of the 144 standing committees of jurisdiction in each chamber. 145 (10)Members of the council shall serve without 146 compensation. Members are entitled to reimbursement for per diem 147 and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. State officers 148 and employees shall be reimbursed from the budget of the agency 149 through which they serve. Other members may be reimbursed by 150 Florida Memorial University the Department of Legal Affairs. 151 (11)The council and any subcommittees it forms are subject 152 to the provisions of chapter 119, related to public records, and 153 the provisions of chapter 286, related to public meetings. 154 (12)Each member of the council who is not otherwise 155 required to file a financial disclosure statement pursuant to s. 156 8, Art. II of the State Constitution or s. 112.3144, must file a 157 disclosure of financial interests pursuant to s. 112.3145. 158 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
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