HB 975 — Capitol Center and Complex

Page943.61 4Powers and duties of 11the CODING:Capitol Police.— (1)(a) There is created the Capitol Police within the Department of Law Enforcement, to serve the safety and security needs of both the legislative and executive branches of state government.

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

hb975-00 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HB 975 2026 943.61 Powers and duties of the Capitol Police.— (1) There is created the Capitol Police within the Department of Law Enforcement, to serve the safety and security needs of both the legislative and executive branches of state government.

It(b)(2) The Capitol Police shall also beprovide thesecurity responsibilityand ofprotection thefor Capitolother Policestate toofficials, ensureemployees, thatand visitors to the Capitol Complex and surroundingshall areasmaintain area safereasonable fordegree members of thesafety Senate and ofsecurity within the HouseCapitol ofComplex Representativeswhile andensuring thosereasonable employeesaccess assigned to assistbuildings suchand statepremises officialswithin in the performanceCapitol ofComplex theirby officialstate duties.officials, employees, and visitors.

(2) The Capitol Police shall also provideensure securitythat andadequate protectionsigns for other state officials, employees, and visitorspersonnel toare the Capitol Complex and shall maintain a reasonable degree of safety and security within the Capitol Complex and surrounding Page 53 of 119 CODING:

hb975-00hb975-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 975 2026 areasin whileplace ensuring reasonable access to buildingsinform and premisesassist within the Capitoloccupants Complexof byand statevisitors officials,to employees,buildings andwithin visitors.the Capitol Complex.

The(c) CapitolTo Policeenforce shallthis alsosubsection, ensurethe thatCapitol adequatePolice signsmay patrol and personnelconduct arelaw inenforcement placeactivities toin informthe andarea assistsurrounding the occupantsCapitol ofComplex andbetween visitorsthe tohours buildingsof within7:00 thea.m. Capitol Complex.

(3)and Nothing7:00 hereinp.m., limitsMonday thethrough abilityFriday. of the Capitol Police to provide mutual aid to other law enforcement agencies as authorized by law unless such a limitation is expressly included in the operational security plans provided for herein.

(4)(d) TheFor purposes of this section, the term "area surrounding the Capitol PoliceComplex" shallmeans havethe area extending north from the followingnorthern responsibilities,boundary powers,of the Capitol Complex, up to and duties:including East Park Avenue and West Park Avenue, and bounded on the east and west by the existing eastern and western boundaries of the Capitol Complex.

(2)(3) Nothing herein limits the ability of the Capitol Police to provide mutual aid to other law enforcement agencies as authorized by law unless such a limitation is expressly included in the operational security plans provided for herein.

(3)(4) The Capitol Police shall have the following responsibilities, powers, and duties:

Such plans shallmust address crime and vagrancy in the streetsarea surrounding the Capitol Complex.

Such plans and any changes or amendments thereto may shall not be implemented unlessPage presented4 in writing in final form to the Governor, the President of the9 Senate,CODING: and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and all three grant their approval in writing.

The approval of any officer required herein shall expire 60 days after such officer vacates his or her office, and the written approval of the successor in office must be obtained before Page 6 of 11 CODING:

hb975-00hb975-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 975 2026 priorunless presented in writing in final form to the continuationGovernor, the President of operationsthe underSenate, suchand plans.the Speaker of the House of Representatives and all three grant their approval in writing.

The approval of any officer required herein shall expire 60 days after such officer vacates his or her office, and the written approval of the successor in office must be obtained before prior to the continuation of operations under such plans.

(b) To provide and maintain the security of all property located in the Capitol Complex in a manner consistent with the security plans developed and approved under paragraph (a) and, in consultation with the State Fire Marshal, to provide for evacuations,Page information,5 andof training9 requiredCODING: for firesafety on such property in a manner consistent with s.

633.218.

(c) To develop plans for reporting incidents involving buildings and property within the Capitol Complex, emergency procedures and evacuation routes in the event of fire, security threats, incidents prompting a need for evacuation, acts of Page 7 of 11 CODING:

hb975-00hb975-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 975 2026 terrorism,evacuations, orinformation, naturaland ortraining manmaderequired disasterfor andfiresafety toon make such proceduresproperty andin routesa knownmanner toconsistent thosewith personss. occupying such buildings.

633.218.

(c) To develop plans for reporting incidents involving buildings and property within the Capitol Complex, emergency procedures and evacuation routes in the event of fire, security threats, incidents prompting a need for evacuation, acts of terrorism, or natural or manmade disaster and to make such procedures and routes known to those persons occupying such buildings.

(h)Page As6 provided by the security plans developed and approved under paragraph (a), upon request of the9 presidingCODING: officer of either house of the Legislature, the director may assign one or more officers for the protection of a member of the house served by such presiding officer.

Per diem and subsistence allowance for department employees traveling with a Page 8 of 11 CODING:

hb975-00hb975-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 975 2026 member(h) As provided by the security plans developed and approved under paragraph (a), upon request of the Legislaturepresiding awayofficer fromof Tallahasseeeither shallhouse beof computedthe byLegislature, paymentthe director may assign one or more officers for the protection of a summember upof to the amountshouse permittedserved inby s.such presiding officer.

Per diem and subsistence allowance for department employees traveling with a member of the Legislature away from Tallahassee shall be computed by payment of a sum up to the amounts permitted in s.

(l) To provide to the Legislature a report with recommendations to enhance the safety of areasthe area surrounding the Capitol Complex.

(5)(4)(5) Officers of the Capitol Police may make lawful arrests,Page consistent7 withof the9 purposes,CODING: responsibilities, and limitations set forth in ss.

943.60-943.68.

However, except with the prior approval of the appropriate presiding officer, officers of the Capitol Police shall have no power to prevent the convening or continuation of any meeting of the Legislature, legislative committees, or staff, nor shall they have the power Page 9 of 11 CODING:

hb975-00hb975-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 975 2026 toarrests, interfereconsistent with the legislativepurposes, dutiesresponsibilities, or rights of a member of the Legislature, or to interfere with the constitutional duties or rights of the Governor or a member of the Cabinet, except as may be necessary to protect the health and safetylimitations ofset anyforth person from a clear and present danger, or as may be otherwise provided in thess. security plans developed and approved for fire prevention, firesafety, and emergency medical procedures under paragraph (4)(a).

943.60-943.68.

However, except with the prior approval of the appropriate presiding officer, officers of the Capitol Police shall have no power to prevent the convening or continuation of any meeting of the Legislature, legislative committees, or staff, nor shall they have the power to interfere with the legislative duties or rights of a member of the Legislature, or to interfere with the constitutional duties or rights of the Governor or a member of the Cabinet, except as may be necessary to protect the health and safety of any person from a clear and present danger, or as may be otherwise provided in the security plans developed and approved for fire prevention, firesafety, and emergency medical procedures under paragraph (3)(a) (4)(a).

Section 7.5.

943.64 Ex officio agents.—Law enforcement officers of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, special agents or inspectors of the Department of Law Enforcement, and law enforcement officers of other state agencies, counties, and municipalitiesPage are8 ex officio agents of the9 CapitolCODING: Police, and may, when authorized by the executive director of the department or the executive director's designee, enforce rules and laws applicable to the powers and duties of the Capitol Police to provide and maintain the security required by ss.

943.61-943.68, including patrolling the Capitol Complex and surrounding areas.

Section 8.

Six full-time equivalent positions, for five Page 10 of 11 CODING:

hb975-00hb975-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 975 2026 officersmunicipalities andare oneex sergeant,officio areagents of the Capitol Police, and may, when authorized toby establishthe anexecutive outreachdirector policingof communitythe groupdepartment withinor the executive director's designee, enforce rules and laws applicable to the powers and duties of the Capitol Police.Police to provide and maintain the security required by ss.

Section943.61-943.68, 9.including patrolling the Capitol Complex and the area surrounding the Capitol Complex, as defined in s.

943.61(1)(d).

Section 6.

Section 943.601, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

943.601 Preservation of legislative powers.—Except as may be agreed to by the presiding officers of both houses of the Legislature, nothing in this chapter shall limit or otherwise interfere with the rights and powers of the Senate or the House of Representatives, or the officers of either, to direct or command members or committees of the Legislature or legislative employees to attend any meeting or enter any area of the Capitol Complex for a legislative purpose, and the Capitol Police may, as provided by the security plans developed and approved under s.

943.61(3)(a) s.

943.61(4)(a), and upon request of the presiding officer of either house of the Legislature, ensure the ability of any member of the house presided over by such presiding officer to attend to such legislative business without wrongful interference from any person or government entity.

Section 7.

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