CRC - 2017 CS for CS for P 26 By the Committees on Local Government; and Executive; and Commissioners Keiser, Nocco, and Karlinsky 330-00248-17 201726c2 1 A proposal to amend 2 Section 4 of Article IV of the State Constitution to 3 establish the Office of Domestic Security and Counter 4 Terrorism within the Department of Law Enforcement and 5 to specify the authority and responsibilities of 6 county sheriffs in ensuring public safety and 7 security. 8 9 Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of 10 Florida: 11 12 Section 4 of Article IV of the State Constitution is 13 amended to read: 14 ARTICLE IV 15 EXECUTIVE 16 SECTION 4. Cabinet.— 17 (a) There shall be a cabinet composed of an attorney 18 general, a chief financial officer, and a commissioner of 19 agriculture. In addition to the powers and duties specified 20 herein, they shall exercise such powers and perform such duties 21 as may be prescribed by law. In the event of a tie vote of the 22 governor and cabinet, the side on which the governor voted shall 23 be deemed to prevail. 24 (b) The attorney general shall be the chief state legal 25 officer. There is created in the office of the attorney general 26 the position of statewide prosecutor. The statewide prosecutor 27 shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the state attorneys to 28 prosecute violations of criminal laws occurring or having 29 occurred, in two or more judicial circuits as part of a related 30 transaction, or when any such offense is affecting or has 31 affected two or more judicial circuits as provided by general 32 law. The statewide prosecutor shall be appointed by the attorney 33 general from not less than three persons nominated by the 34 judicial nominating commission for the supreme court, or as 35 otherwise provided by general law. 36 (c) The chief financial officer shall serve as the chief 37 fiscal officer of the state, and shall settle and approve 38 accounts against the state, and shall keep all state funds and 39 securities. 40 (d) The commissioner of agriculture shall have supervision 41 of matters pertaining to agriculture except as otherwise 42 provided by law. 43 (e) The governor as chair, the chief financial officer, and 44 the attorney general shall constitute the state board of 45 administration, which shall succeed to all the power, control, 46 and authority of the state board of administration established 47 pursuant to Article IX, Section 16 of the Constitution of 1885, 48 and which shall continue as a body at least for the life of 49 Article XII, Section 9(c). 50 (f) The governor as chair, the chief financial officer, the 51 attorney general, and the commissioner of agriculture shall 52 constitute the trustees of the internal improvement trust fund 53 and the land acquisition trust fund as provided by law. 54 (g) The governor as chair, the chief financial officer, the 55 attorney general, and the commissioner of agriculture shall 56 constitute the agency head of the Department of Law Enforcement. 57 The Office of Domestic Security and Counter-Terrorism is created 58 within the Department of Law Enforcement. The Office of Domestic 59 Security and Counter-Terrorism shall provide support for 60 prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement 61 agencies that investigate or analyze information relating to 62 attempts or acts of terrorism or that prosecute terrorism, and 63 shall perform any other duties that are provided by law. 64 Recognizing the importance and authority of the sheriffs and 65 local law enforcement agencies in the prevention of terrorist 66 acts and other crimes in the community, the county sheriff, in 67 consultation with local stakeholders recognized in the Florida 68 Statutes, shall have responsibility for the security of county 69 owned or -operated courthouses, court facilities, and court 70 service buildings. The sheriff’s authority shall include 71 decision-making regarding the security of these courthouses, 72 court facilities, and court service buildings, as well as local 73 decisions regarding the administration and operations of the 74 office of the sheriff that affect security and law enforcement.