Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1554 By Senator Collins 14-00881A-25 20251554__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to public safety; providing a short 3 title; amending s. 20.201, F.S.; establishing a 4 Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Unit within the 5 Department of Law Enforcement; amending s. 111.09, 6 F.S.; revising the definitions of the terms 7 affiliated first responder organization and first 8 responder; creating s. 111.11, F.S.; defining the 9 term first responder; prohibiting first responder 10 employment discrimination; authorizing civil actions; 11 providing that prohibited discrimination may be 12 inferred solely from the disparate impact of 13 employment decisions or practices on the members of a 14 group; providing for damages, including punitive 15 damages, reasonable attorney fees, and costs; 16 providing for remedies in cases of denied promotion; 17 amending s. 365.171, F.S.; revising legislative intent 18 relating to 911 systems; providing for a unified 911 19 system for every county-level first responder agency 20 by a specified date; prohibiting a municipality from 21 opting out of such consolidation; requiring 22 integration of 911 operations within a county under 23 the sheriff; authorizing sheriffs to opt out of such 24 consolidation; providing construction; providing 25 requirements for unified 911 call centers; requiring 26 unified call centers to establish an executive board 27 in each county; providing requirements; requiring 28 counties to provide the total funding for 911 call 29 centers as determined by an annual needs assessment 30 and as requested by the sheriff; providing 31 construction; authorizing a sheriff to contract with 32 certain entities to meet specified requirements; 33 authorizing a county that opts out of a unified 911 34 call center to establish a regional 911 call center; 35 providing construction; requiring that regional call 36 centers be governed by a regional 911 operations 37 board; providing for membership of the board; 38 requiring counties to provide the total funding for 39 the regional 911 call center as required and requested 40 by the regional 911 operations board; requiring the 41 department to negotiate and establish a preferred 42 price list for certain equipment; providing 43 requirements for such list; creating s. 365.1795, 44 F.S.; requiring a 911 call center to dispatch the 45 closest unit to an emergency regardless of 46 jurisdiction; requiring an agency to sign a certain 47 memorandum of understanding by a specified date; 48 providing requirements for the reimbursement of 49 certain costs; amending ss. 937.021 and 937.022, F.S.; 50 revising requirements for the reporting of missing 51 persons information; creating s. 943.0322, F.S.; 52 requiring the department to establish and operate a 53 Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Unit; providing 54 requirements for such unit; amending s. 943.131, F.S.; 55 providing an exemption from certain law enforcement 56 basic training requirements for persons who have 57 served as intelligence or counterintelligence officers 58 or agents for a specified time period; providing 59 requirements for verification of qualifications; 60 creating s. 943.1714, F.S.; requiring certain basic 61 skills training in resilience for law enforcement 62 officers; authorizing first responder amputees to 63 continue to serve as first responders in certain 64 circumstances; creating the Florida Medal of Valor and 65 the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal; providing 66 requirements for such medals; requiring the department 67 to study the viability, necessity, and possibility of 68 creating hurricane-hardened public safety operations 69 centers; providing requirements for such centers; 70 requiring the Governor or his or her designee to 71 present the awards; requiring a resident of this state 72 or of an employing agency in this state to apply for 73 such medal on behalf of the recipient; requiring 74 applications be considered by a board; providing 75 requirements for the board; requiring the Department 76 of Law Enforcement to conduct a study assessing 77 certain factors related to the creation of the 78 hurricane-hardened public safety operation centers; 79 requiring a report to be submitted to the Governor and 80 the Legislature; providing requirements for such 81 report; creating the Florida Department of Public 82 Safety Consolidation Task Force within the department 83 for specified purpose; providing for membership of the 84 task force; requiring the task force to prepare and 85 submit a report to certain persons by a specified 86 date; requiring the task force to establish a Florida 87 Department of Public Safety; providing for 88 administrative support; providing for future repeal; 89 providing an effective date. 90 91 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 92 93 Section 1.This act may be cited as the Florida First 94 Responder and Florida Public Safety Act. 95 Section 2.Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of 96 section 20.201, Florida Statutes, to read: 97 20.201Department of Law Enforcement. 98 (2)The following programs of the Department of Law 99 Enforcement are established: 100 (e)Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Unit. 101 Section 3.Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of 102 section 111.09, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 103 111.09Peer support for first responders. 104 (1)For purposes of this section, the term: 105 (a)Affiliated first responder organization includes, but 106 is not limited to, any of the following organizations: 107 1.Regularly organized volunteer firefighting departments 108 or associations. 109 2.Regularly organized volunteer ambulance services. 110 3.Combination fire departments, as that term is defined in 111 s. 633.135(1). 112 4.An organization of prosecutors. 113 5.An organization of crime scene technicians. 114 (b)First responder has the same meaning as provided in 115 s. 112.1815 and includes 911 public safety telecommunicators as 116 defined in s. 401.465, correctional officers as defined in s. 117 943.10(2), and correctional probation officers as defined in s. 118 943.10(3), prosecutors, crime scene technicians, and judges and 119 their clerks who deal with criminal matters. 120 Section 4.Section 111.11, Florida Statutes, is created to 121 read: 122 111.11Employment of first responders; discrimination 123 prohibited. 124 (1)As used in this section, the term first responder has 125 the same meaning as in s. 112.1815(1). 126 (2)An employing agency of first responders may not 127 discriminate in hiring, promotion, or any other employment 128 decision or practice on any basis prohibited in s. 760.10, 129 including following any diversity, equity, or inclusion policy 130 or practice, whether formal or informal, that results in such 131 discrimination. 132 (3)(a)In addition to any other remedy provided by law, a 133 victim of discrimination prohibited by this section may bring a 134 civil action. 135 (b)In any civil action brought under this section, 136 discrimination prohibited by this section may be inferred solely 137 from the disparate impact of employment decisions or practices 138 on the members of a group. 139 (c)In any civil action brought under this subsection, the 140 court may issue an order prohibiting the discriminatory policy 141 or practice and providing affirmative relief from the effects of 142 the discriminatory policy or practice, including back pay. The 143 court may also award compensatory damages, including, but not 144 limited to, damages for mental anguish, loss of dignity, and any 145 other intangible injuries, and punitive damages. In any civil 146 action brought under this subsection, the court shall award a 147 prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney fees and costs. 148 (d)If an employing agency of first responders is found to 149 have violated subsection (2) in regards to promotion, the 150 individual seeking relief shall be awarded back pay from the 151 date he or she would been paid the higher salary had he or she 152 been promoted. If such an individual cannot be promoted to the 153 position he or she was denied, the court shall order that he or 154 she be paid as if he or she had been promoted to such position 155 while remaining in his or her current position and order that 156 the individual be promoted to such position at the next 157 available opportunity. 158 Section 5.Subsection (2) of section 365.171, Florida 159 Statutes, is amended, and paragraphs (e) and (f) are added to 160 subsection (4) of that section, to read: 161 365.171Emergency communications state plan. 162 (2)LEGISLATIVE INTENT.It is the intent of the Legislature 163 that the communications number 911 be the designated emergency 164 communications number. A public safety agency may not advertise 165 or otherwise promote the use of any communications number for 166 emergency response services other than 911. It is further the 167 intent of the Legislature to implement and continually update a 168 cohesive statewide emergency communications plan for enhanced 169 911 services which will provide citizens with rapid direct 170 access to public safety agencies by accessing 911 with the 171 objective of reducing the response time to situations requiring 172 law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue, and other emergency 173 services. It is further the intent of the Legislature to 174 prohibit the transfer of calls between 911 call centers and to 175 maximize the efficiency of the statewide emergency 176 communications plan for citizens dialing 911 for emergency 177 services. 178 (4)STATE PLAN.The office shall develop, maintain, and 179 implement appropriate modifications for a statewide emergency 180 communications plan. The plan shall provide for: 181 (e)1.A unified 911 system. By July 1, 2029, every county 182 level first responder agency must be provided 911, emergency 183 call, and dispatch services from a unified 911 call center. A 184 municipality may not opt out of this consolidation. All existing 185 911 operations within a county shall be integrated under the 186 sheriff to create a unified 911 call center and all county-level 187 first responder agencies and jurisdictions must participate in 188 the unified 911 call center in their service area. 189 2.a.A sheriff may opt out of the consolidation requirement 190 in subparagraph 1., in which case the county shall establish a 191 regional 911 call center as provided in subparagraph 4. A 192 sheriff may later choose to opt in to the requirement in 193 subparagraph 1. without limitation. 194 b.If a sheriff later chooses to opt in to the requirement 195 in subparagraph 1., he or she must declare his or her 196 willingness to do so by written declaration to every 197 jurisdiction in the county which participates in the unified 911 198 call center and to the countys supervisor of elections no later 199 than 6 months before the next regular election. Once the 200 declaration is made, the supervisor of elections shall place the 201 issue on the ballot at the next regular election. The voters 202 shall determine by referendum whether to have the unified 911 203 call center operated by the sheriff. 204 3.a.Each unified 911 call center shall: 205 (I)Establish a single computer-aided dispatching software, 206 regardless of the agency being dispatched. 207 (II)Establish the minimum standard requirements for radio 208 communications within the county to which all agencies must 209 adhere. 210 (III)Establish, maintain, and operate all systems and 211 properties necessary for radio and telephone operations, such as 212 a computer-aided dispatch system, telephony, hardware, and 213 information technology. 214 (IV)Require Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking 215 requirements of each unit within the system to allow computer 216 aided dispatch and implement closest-unit dispatching 217 requirements. 218 (V)Establish an executive board in each county. The 219 executive board shall consist of three members appointed by the 220 entities they represent as follows: an individual representing 221 the county government, an individual representing police 222 departments, and an individual representing fire rescue 223 services. Each member shall serve a term of 3 years. The 224 executive board shall meet monthly. 225 226 If there are multiple jurisdictions within the unified 911 call 227 center, each jurisdiction shall pick the representative to serve 228 the 3-year term and then rotate to the next jurisdiction. The 229 rotational order shall begin with the largest jurisdiction by 230 population, then the next largest jurisdiction by population, 231 and then the smallest jurisdiction by population and continue ad 232 infinitum. 233 (A)A representative of the sheriffs office shall attend 234 each meeting of the executive board and serve as a liaison 235 between the board and the sheriffs office. 236 (B)The executive board may create a nonvoting advisory 237 board that consists of as many members as needed, but only one 238 member from each jurisdiction shall be represented on the 239 nonvoting advisory board. 240 (C)If the center is operated by the sheriff, the executive 241 board shall advise and guide the sheriff on the operation and 242 budget of the center. The executive board must vote to approve 243 the sheriffs budget proposal for the center if the proposal is 244 submitted to the county for consideration. 245 (D)If the center is operated by the sheriff, the executive 246 board may overrule a decision by the sheriff concerning any 247 operation of the center by unanimous vote of all voting members 248 after giving the sheriff 30 days written notice about the matter 249 that specifies the nature of the issue, their written intent to 250 overrule, and an alternative plan for the sheriffs 251 consideration. 252 b.The sheriff shall annually conduct a needs assessment to 253 identify the financial requirements necessary to perform the 254 services required to provide a unified 911 call center, 255 including, but not limited to: 256 (I)Telephony. 257 (II)Radio dispatch. 258 (III)Information technology. 259 c.Counties shall provide total funding for the unified 911 260 call center as determined by the annual needs assessment and as 261 requested by the sheriff but do not have any right or control 262 over the funds or equipment of the center. A unified 911 call 263 center operated by a sheriff may not be included in the 264 sheriffs operational budget but shall serve as a separate line 265 item and fulfillment requirement by the county to the sheriff. 266 The county must be provided funding and each jurisdiction that 267 is provided services under this paragraph must provide pro-rata 268 funding to the county based on its population. Any funding not 269 covered by the 911 fee as requested by the annual needs 270 assessment shall be provided by the participating jurisdictions 271 on a pro-rata basis. 272 d.A sheriff may choose to contract with another county or 273 another countys unified 911 call center to meet the 274 requirements of this section. If a sheriff chooses to contract 275 with another county, the executive boards membership shall 276 increase by two additional voting members. The two additional 277 voting members shall be the contracting sheriff and a 278 representative of the county government of the additional 279 county. All other jurisdictions represented by the contracting 280 sheriff may each appoint a member to the nonvoting advisory 281 board, each of whom has the right to attend and participate in 282 meetings as a nonvoting member. 283 4.If a sheriff opts out of the operation of a unified 911 284 call center, the county shall establish a regional 911 call 285 center. A regional 911 call center may be within one county or 286 among several counties that choose to pool resources. A 287 memorandum of understanding is required between the agencies 288 involved. A regional 911 call center shall be governed by a 289 regional 911 operations board made up of agencies within the 290 participating county or counties. 291 a.Members of the regional 911 operations board shall 292 include the agency head of each law enforcement, fire rescue, or 293 emergency rescue service that operates in the regional 911 call 294 center. Members shall serve 2-year terms. The sheriff of each 295 county in the regional 911 call center shall be a member of the 296 board. In the event that there are an even amount of members, 297 the chair of the board shall rotate between the sheriffs of each 298 participating county and each sheriff shall serve on the board 299 for a period of 2 years. 300 b.The boards operating expenses shall be funded on a pro 301 rata basis from each participating county. 302 c.The board shall annually conduct a needs assessment to 303 identify the financial requirements necessary to perform the 304 services required to provide a regional 911 call center, 305 including, but not limited to: 306 (I)Telephony. 307 (II)Radio dispatch. 308 (III)Information technology. 309 d.Counties shall provide total funding for the regional 310 911 call center as required and as requested by the regional 911 311 operations board but do not have any right or control over the 312 funds or equipment of the center. Each jurisdiction that is 313 provided services under this subparagraph must provide pro-rata 314 funding to the county or counties based on its population. Any 315 amount not covered by the 911 fee as requested by the annual 316 needs assessment shall be provided by the participating 317 jurisdictions on a pro-rata basis. 318 (f)The Department of Law Enforcement shall negotiate and 319 establish a preferred price list for major equipment used in the 320 operation of unified 911 call centers to maximize cost savings 321 to the state. Unified 911 call centers are encouraged, but not 322 required, to use the preferred price list. The preferred price 323 list shall, at a minimum, include preferred prices for: 324 1.Radios. 325 2.Computer-aided dispatch software. 326 3.Telephone equipment. 327 4.Related software. 328 329 The office shall be responsible for the implementation and 330 coordination of such plan. The office shall adopt any necessary 331 rules and schedules related to public agencies for implementing 332 and coordinating the plan, pursuant to chapter 120. 333 Section 6.Section 365.1795, Florida Statutes, is created 334 to read: 335 365.1795Dispatch of the closest unit required. 336 (1)A 911 call center shall dispatch the closest unit to an 337 emergency regardless of jurisdiction. 338 (2)By July 1, 2026, an agency must sign a memorandum of 339 understanding to reflect the requirements of this section and to 340 set standard operating procedures. 341 (3)If an agency responds to an emergency pursuant to the 342 requirements of this section, the agency must be reimbursed 343 quarterly for the cost of the services provided at true cost 344 without markup from the jurisdiction in which the emergency 345 occurred. 346 Section 7.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection 347 (4) of section 937.021, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 348 937.021Missing child and missing adult reports. 349 (1)Law enforcement agencies in this state shall adopt 350 written policies that specify the procedures to be used to 351 investigate reports of missing children and missing adults. The 352 policies must ensure that cases involving missing children and 353 adults are investigated promptly using appropriate resources. 354 The policies must include: 355 (c)Standards for maintaining and clearing computer data of 356 information concerning a missing child or missing adult which is 357 stored in the Florida Crime Information Center, the National 358 Crime Information Center, and the National Missing and 359 Unidentified Persons System. The standards must require, at a 360 minimum, a monthly review of each case entered into the Florida 361 Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information 362 Center, an annual review of each case entered into the National 363 Missing and Unidentified Persons System, and a determination of 364 whether the case should be maintained in the databases database. 365 (4)(a)Upon the filing of a police report that a child is 366 missing by the parent or guardian, the Department of Children 367 and Families, or a community-based care provider, the law 368 enforcement agency receiving the report shall immediately inform 369 all on-duty law enforcement officers of the missing child 370 report, communicate the report to every other law enforcement 371 agency having jurisdiction in the county, and within 2 hours 372 after receipt of the report, transmit the report for inclusion 373 within the Florida Crime Information Center and, the National 374 Crime Information Center, and the National Missing and 375 Unidentified Persons System databases, and shall, within 90 days 376 after receipt of the report, transmit the report to the National 377 Missing and Unidentified Persons System. A law enforcement 378 agency may not require a reporter to present an order that a 379 child be taken into custody or any other such order before 380 accepting a report that a child is missing. 381 (b)Upon the filing of a credible police report that an 382 adult is missing, the law enforcement agency receiving the 383 report shall, within 2 hours after receipt of the report, 384 transmit the report for inclusion within the Florida Crime 385 Information Center and, the National Crime Information Center, 386 and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System 387 databases, and shall, within 90 days after receipt of the 388 report, transmit the report to the National Missing and 389 Unidentified Persons System. 390 Section 8.Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 391 937.022, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 392 937.022Missing Endangered Persons Information 393 Clearinghouse. 394 (3)The clearinghouse shall: 395 (b)Provide a centralized file for the exchange of 396 information on missing endangered persons. 397 1.Every state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency 398 shall submit to the clearinghouse information concerning missing 399 endangered persons. 400 2.Any person having knowledge may submit a missing 401 endangered person report to the clearinghouse concerning a child 402 or adult younger than 26 years of age whose whereabouts is 403 unknown, regardless of the circumstances, subsequent to 404 reporting such child or adult missing to the appropriate law 405 enforcement agency within the county in which the child or adult 406 became missing, and subsequent to entry by the law enforcement 407 agency of the child or person into the Florida Crime Information 408 Center and, the National Crime Information Center, and the 409 National Missing and Unidentified Persons System databases. The 410 missing endangered person report shall be included in the 411 clearinghouse database. 412 3.Only the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over 413 the case may submit a missing endangered person report to the 414 clearinghouse involving a missing adult age 26 years or older 415 who is suspected by a law enforcement agency of being endangered 416 or the victim of criminal activity. 417 4.Only the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over 418 the case may make a request to the clearinghouse for the 419 activation of a state Silver Alert or a Purple Alert involving a 420 missing adult if circumstances regarding the disappearance have 421 met the criteria for activation of the Silver Alert Plan or the 422 Purple Alert. 423 Section 9.Section 943.0322, Florida Statutes, is created 424 to read: 425 943.0322Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Unit. 426 (1)The department shall establish and operate a 427 Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Unit consisting of teams 428 located regionally throughout this state whose primary purpose 429 is to proactively address terrorist threats, foreign 430 intelligence collection efforts, and insider threat actors. The 431 unit shall focus on identifying threats, analyzing patterns of 432 life, gathering actionable intelligence, formulating an 433 effective action plan, and executing arrests or revealing the 434 intent of this state to compel a response, thus avoiding 435 protracted investigations. The unit may conduct direct action 436 missions against identifiable threats on its own or join other 437 units to counteract and stop such threats. 438 (2)The Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Unit shall 439 consist of seven teams, with one team assigned to each Regional 440 Domestic Security Task Force housed at each of the departments 441 regional operations centers. 442 Section 10.Subsection (2) of section 943.131, Florida 443 Statutes, is amended to read: 444 943.131Temporary employment or appointment; minimum basic 445 recruit training exemptions. 446 (2)If an applicant seeks an exemption from completing a 447 commission-approved basic recruit training program, the 448 employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection 449 center must verify and document that the applicant has: 450 (a)Successfully completed a comparable basic recruit 451 training program for the discipline in which the applicant is 452 seeking certification in another state or for the Federal 453 Government or a previous Florida basic recruit training program. 454 Further, the employing agency, training center, or criminal 455 justice selection center must verify that the applicant has 456 served as a full-time sworn officer in another state or for the 457 Federal Government for at least 1 year provided there is no more 458 than an 8-year break in employment or was a previously certified 459 Florida officer provided there is no more than an 8-year break 460 in employment, as measured from the separation date of the most 461 recent qualifying employment to the time a complete application 462 is submitted for an exemption under this section. The employing 463 agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center 464 shall submit documentation of satisfaction of this requirement 465 to the commission; or 466 (b)Served in the special operation forces for a minimum of 467 5 years, provided there is no more than a 4-year break from the 468 applicants special operations forces experience, as measured 469 from the separation date from the special operations forces to 470 the time a complete application for an exemption under this 471 subsection is submitted. The employing agency, training center, 472 or criminal justice selection center shall further verify and 473 document the specific training and experience the applicant 474 received during his or her special operations forces service 475 that is relevant to law enforcement. The employing agency, 476 training center, or criminal justice selection center shall 477 submit documentation of satisfaction of these requirements to 478 the commission; or 479 (c)Served as an intelligence or counterintelligence 480 officer or agent for a minimum of 5 years, provided that there 481 is no more than a 4-year break from the applicants special 482 operations forces experience, as measured from the separation 483 date from the military or federal government to the time a 484 complete application for an exemption under this subsection is 485 submitted. The employing agency, training center, or criminal 486 justice selection center shall further verify and document the 487 specific training and experience the applicant received during 488 his or her intelligence or counterintelligence service that is 489 relevant to law enforcement. The employing agency, training 490 center, or criminal justice selection center shall submit 491 documentation of satisfaction of these requirements to the 492 commission. 493 Section 11.Section 943.1714, Florida Statutes, is created 494 to read: 495 943.1714Basic skills training in resilience.The 496 commission shall establish and maintain standards for basic 497 skills training in resilience for law enforcement officers, 498 including, but not limited to, mental health, sleep, 499 concussions, trauma, chemical and substance exposure and their 500 effects on health, lead exposure from ammunition, exposure to 501 harmful substances from fires, and the effects of exposure to 502 chemicals in protective gear. All basic skills training for law 503 enforcement officers to obtain initial certification must 504 include basic skills training in resilience. 505 Section 12.First responder amputees.An individual who is 506 certified as a first responder as defined in s. 112.1815(1), 507 Florida Statutes and who has a physical disability resulting 508 from amputation may continue to serve as a first responder if he 509 or she meets the first responder certification requirements 510 without an accommodation. 511 Section 13.Florida Medal of Valor and Florida Blue/Red 512 Heart Medal. 513 (1)(a)There is created the Florida Medal of Valor for 514 first responders as defined in s. 112.1815(1), Florida Statutes, 515 and related personnel. The medal may be awarded only to a first 516 responder or related personnel who goes above and beyond the 517 call of duty to save the life of an individual. 518 (b)There is created the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal. The 519 medal shall be awarded to a law enforcement officer, 520 firefighter, correctional officer, or correctional probation 521 officer who is injured in the line of duty. 522 (2)The Governor or his or her designee may present the 523 awards. The awards shall be issued and administered through the 524 Department of Law Enforcement. A resident of this state or an 525 employing agency in this state must apply for the Florida Medal 526 of Valor or the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal on behalf of the 527 potential recipient. 528 (3)(a)The application for a medal under this section shall 529 be considered and acted upon by a board charged with the duty of 530 evaluating the appropriateness of an application. The board 531 shall consist of five individuals as follows: 532 1.Three members appointed by the Governor. 533 2.One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of 534 Representatives. 535 3.One member appointed by the President of the Senate. 536 (b)Members of the board shall serve 2-year terms. Any 537 vacancy on the board must be filled within 3 months. At least 538 three board members must be active, retired, or former law 539 enforcement officers or firefighters. 540 Section 14.(1)The Department of Law Enforcement shall 541 conduct a study assessing the viability, necessity, and 542 possibility of creating hurricane-hardened public safety 543 operations centers. By July 1, 2026, the department shall submit 544 a report containing the results of the study to the Governor, 545 the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 546 Representatives, the chair of the Committee on Military and 547 Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security of the Senate, 548 and the chair of the Security and Threat Assessment Committee of 549 the House of Representatives. 550 (2)The report shall: 551 (a)Address the need for regional backup centers addressing 552 the potential need for hardened space if a county experiences a 553 direct hit from a debilitating weather event or any manmade 554 cataclysmic event that could disable a countys ability to 555 operate emergency services. 556 (b)Identify a minimum of five regional locations to house 557 the regional backup centers. 558 (c)Provide a standardized list of what is housed and what 559 is necessary to be housed at each regional backup center. At a 560 minimum, each regional backup center shall house: 561 1.911 dispatching and call taking. 562 2.An emergency operations center. 563 3.Worker housing. 564 4.Food service facilities. 565 5.Information technology. 566 6.Backup generator. 567 7.A Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). 568 8.Parking capacity for relocating units. 569 (d)Estimate a price for each regional backup center and a 570 total estimated price of the project. 571 (e)Identify alternate uses of the regional backup center 572 in nonemergency settings to co-use the space. 573 (f)Identify a list of potential local, state, and federal 574 tenants. 575 Section 15.(1)The Florida Department of Public Safety 576 Consolidation Task Force, a task force as defined in s. 577 20.03(5), Florida Statutes, is created within the Department of 578 Law Enforcement. The task force shall specify the steps and 579 legislation necessary and provide the cost estimates and 580 timelines required to implement the consolidation of all law 581 enforcement agencies into a Florida Department of Public Safety 582 as outlined in this section. The purpose of the consolidation is 583 to maximize this states crime-fighting ability, intelligence 584 capability, and defensive capacity while increasing government 585 efficiency, consolidating chains of command, increasing 586 communications and coordination, standardizing training, pooling 587 resources, increasing opportunities for officers such as 588 increased salaries and promotions, and better preparing this 589 state through one voice of law enforcement. 590 (2)The task force shall consist of the following members, 591 each of whom must be appointed by July 31, 2025: 592 (a)A senator appointed by the President of the Senate. 593 (b)A member of the House of Representatives appointed by 594 the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 595 (c)Three representatives of the Department of Law 596 Enforcement appointed by the executive director of the 597 department. 598 (d)A representative of the Division of Florida Highway 599 Patrol of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 600 appointed by the executive director of the department. 601 (e)A representative of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 602 Commission appointed by the executive director of the 603 commission. 604 (f)A representative of the Capitol Police appointed by the 605 director of the Capitol Police. 606 (g)A representative of the Governor appointed by the 607 Governor. 608 (3)The task force shall prepare and submit a report by 609 July 1, 2026, to each person who appointed at least one member 610 to the task force as provided in subsection (2). 611 (4)The task force shall establish a Florida Department of 612 Public Safety to be administered by a director appointed by the 613 Governor. The director shall appoint a deputy director and 614 chiefs. The chiefs shall administer the following areas: 615 (a)Administration, including fleet management, human 616 resources, purchasing, federal liaison, professional standards, 617 internal affairs, and communications. 618 (b)Patrol, including the Florida Highway Patrol, which 619 shall maintain its current duties and branding, and the Capitol 620 Police, which shall be dissolved and become part of the Florida 621 Department of Public Safety. 622 (c)Investigations, including the intel and fusion center, 623 cyber unit, crime analysts, law enforcement officer shooting 624 investigations, homicide, and narcotics. 625 (d)Investigative support, including crime labs, forensics, 626 DNA analysis, fingerprinting, and background screening. 627 (e)Special operations, including Special Weapons and 628 Tactics (SWAT), bomb, dive, drone, and mounted units. 629 (f)Marine and environmental, including Fish and Wildlife 630 Conservation Commission units. 631 (g)Dignitary protection, including units assigned to 632 protect the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. 633 (h)Aviation, including all aviation assets from all 634 agencies. 635 (5)The Department of Law Enforcement shall provide 636 administrative support to the task force. 637 (6)This section is repealed upon submission of the task 638 force report under subsection (3). 639 Section 16.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.