Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

>> Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice will now come to order. Sheila, please call the roll. >> Chair Martin. >> Here. >> Senator Garcia. >> Senator Osgood. >> Here. >> Senator Polsky? >> Here. >> Senator Simon? >> Here. >> Senator Smith? >> Here. >> Senator Wright? >> Here. >> Senator Yarborough. >> Here. >> A quorum is present, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Sheila. Please silence all electronic devices. Anyone wishing to speak before the committee should complete an appearance form and hand it to a member of the sergeant's office. Should you select to waive your speaking time, your position will be included in the committee meeting records. We're going to take up tab 1, which is a presentation on the governor's fiscal year 2026-2027 budget recommendations. Caitlin Dawkins, policy coordinator from the EOG, you are recognized to present the budget. >> Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, and members. My name is Caitlin Dawkins. >> [inaudible] the green button. A cross your face. >> Sorry. There we go. My name is Caitlin Dawkins, and I'm the policy coordinator for the Public Safety Unit and the Governor's Office of Policy and Budget. Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to present the Floridians first budget by Governor DeSantis for fiscal year 2026 2027 as it relates to public safety. Also with me today are the leaders of our partner agencies to present their respective budgets. Secretary Dixon with the Department of Corrections, Secretary Walsh with the Department of Juvenile Justice, and Deputy Commissioner Pollard with the Department of Law Enforcement. The Public Safety Unit oversees the budgets and policies of Florida's public safety entities which are essential to maintaining law and order across the state. This includes the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the Departments of Corrections, Juvenile Justice, law enforcement and legal affairs, as well as the Justice Administrative Commission and the state court system. Together, these agencies play a critical role in the criminal justice system, ensuring public safety, administering justice, and upholding the rule of law. Collectively, they currently represent over 45,000 FTE, accounting for approximately 41% of all state positions. The next slide shows the governor's proposed budget, which totals $117.4 billion. This represents a $1.3 billion or 1.1% increase compared to the current fiscal year budget. The total budget is split. GR comprises 45%, and trust funds comprise 55%. Over 30% of those trust funds are federal funds. As you can see, the public safety budget represents over 8.2 billion or 7% of the overall total proposed budget. The next slide shows the governor's proposed budget. As it relates to general revenue, that accounts for $53.2 billion. This shows it broken out by policy area. Here you can see that public safety takes the third largest piece of that pie with $7.2 billion, utilizing just over $1 billion in trust funds. Slide shows the proposed public safety budget broken out by our seven entities. This totals again, $8.2 billion and reflects a 0.4% decrease over the current year budget. This $8.2 billion is comprised of $7.5 billion in current base budget funding and $742.1 million in new funding. This includes an additional $128.6 million in fixed capital outlay funding across all agencies, as well as an additional 106.3 million in IT related projects. This chart shows the total proposed funding for each of the seven entities within the public safety unit. You can see that the Department of Corrections accounts for over half of the total proposed public safety budget at over $4.3 billion. I would like to note that the department is the largest state agency by far, with almost 24,000 FTE in our proposed budget. These FTE represent over 22% of the total proposed FTE. The total Justice Administrative Commission budget takes the second largest piece of the pie at nearly $1.4 billion. I would also like to briefly mention that across all silos, the Floridians first budget includes a total of $850 million in recurring budget reductions and 354.5 FTE vacancy reductions for over 180 days. Of these totals, the public safety silo represents 52.5 FTE reductions and over $3.5 million. These public safety reductions include recurring base budget funds or excess trust fund authority that is no longer needed. I would like to turn it over to the agency heads here today to present their slides, starting with FDLE. >> Thank you, Vaden Pollard, Deputy Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, you're recognized to present your budget. >> Thank you Chair Martin, Committee members. I'm Vaden Pollard, Deputy Commissioner of FDLE. It's a pleasure to be here this afternoon to share a few of our legislative budget requests that Department is seeking this year. But before I get into it, Commissioner Glass sends his regards. The flu has descended upon the Tallahassee area, and unfortunately, he's on the better end of it. With that, I'll get into it. The budget request will highlight the agency's priorities in public safety. Some of those categories are drug and violent crime prevention, assisting local law enforcement partners, enhancing Florida law enforcement crime databases, law enforcement, mental health and wellness, and enhancing illegal immigration enforcement. We will begin with the state assistance for fentanyl eradication, also known as the SAFE Program. We are requesting $15 million to the SAFE Program to support local law enforcement in combating fentanyl trafficking and distribution. This program has proven to be one of the most effective tools we have for disrupting drug trafficking networks and protecting our communities. As of December 2025, SAFE has led to 2,509 arrests and the seizure of 558 pounds of fentanyl, including over 65,000 fentanyl pills, 866 firearms. And also the seizure of just over $5.5 million in illegal ill gotten gains. Even as we strengthen our borders, drug trafficking organizations continue to adapt, shifting routes, changing methods, and finding new ways to move fentanyl into our state. That's why sustained support of SAFE Program is essential. It ensures law enforcement has the resources, coordination, and statewide backing needed to stay ahead of these evolving threats. Next, we have the Career Offender Registry and Enforcement Staffing. Florida's career offender program monitors individuals legally designated by the courts for multiple felony convictions, including murder, sexual battery and aggravated abuse. We have 6,800 career offenders living in Florida communities, along with 1,200 career offenders who have absconded or the whereabouts are unknown. Currently, registry operations are handled part time by existing staff, creating significant enforcement and resource gaps. FDLE requests $1.5 million to establish a dedicated career offender registry unit with eight full time positions to enhance oversight, strengthen local law enforcement collaboration, and increase public safety. Next, we have missing endangered persons information clearinghouse technology upgrade. FDLE's 21-year-old MEPIC application is responsible for issuing all alerts requested by local law enforcement, including amber alerts, missing child alerts, silver alerts, blue alerts, and purple alerts. The department is requesting $2.4 million to complete the upgrade of that system. Next, we have the alcohol testing program. The current toxiizer 8,000 devices are no longer in production and are being replaced by the intoxilizer 9,000. To modernize operations, FDLE requests $3.3 million to purchase 260 new instruments and a cloud based data system completing the final phase of the upgrade project by June of 2027. Next, we have Law Enforcement Officer Mental Health and Wellness. FDLE requests $5 million 16 FTEs to expand the Office of Wellness, addressing the urgent mental health needs of law enforcement officers who experience high trauma exposure and elevated suicidal risk. The office provides trauma informed care, peer support, and also targeted violence prevention investigations, and they do this through programs such as the post critical incident seminars. Next, we have criminal alien detection and crime suppression. FDLE requests $899,216 and nine FTE to support the Office of statewide intelligence. Funding will expand the criminal intelligence collection capacity and the Organized Crime Unit, Emerging Threat Analysis Center, and the Florida Fusion Center, which will strengthen investigations into illegal immigration, human and drug trafficking, organized crime, and other emerging threats statewide. And finally, we have additional personnel to implement statutory requirements. The department is seeking $265,212 and two FTE to address workload increases from statutory requirements that include the recently expanded school guardian management system. And the newly enacted Medal of Valor & Blue/Red Heart Medal Program. This will complete my briefing for you all, and I am available for any questions. >> Thank you, Deputy Commissioner. Are there any questions? Any discussion? Oh, questions. Go ahead Senator Smith. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the presentation, I know you're filling in for Commissioner Glass. So I'm hoping you can provide more detail on the final line here, improving illegal immigration intelligence and data collection. $1.2 million for that. Is that in addition to resources you already have? And can you please describe what those detection efforts because I looked a little bit more closely to see what it is. It says, illegal alien detection and support. A how do you detect an undocumented person? What does that type of surveillance look like? Can you detail this work for our committee, please? >> Sure. Mr. Chair, be glad to, sir. Great question. So in our enforcement efforts at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, we focus on the transnational crime groups that come in, and a lot of times that involves illegal immigration. There's different types of crimes that occur within those organizations. You have human trafficking, big one, drug trafficking, another big one. You have also organized scheme to defraud and different events or different types of crimes that they're involved with. So we focus a lot of energy on those. And we also put a lot of energy on those who are already convicted of crimes who are here illegally. So basically, our efforts and those resources and to answer your initial question, yes, this would supplement, and it would enhance our current capability, which we do need because it does have an impact on the community. And the way we stay ahead of it is that we have people who are dedicated to track that specifically. >> Permission for a follow up, Mr. Chair. Thank you. I'm trying to understand the impact of this because you're talking about tracking transnational crimes. Ultimately, at the end of the day, the only outcome and data that we have to look at as lawmakers is the results that Governor DeSantis has given us without much detail, let me tell you what There was a press conference last week where he says, Hey, as a state, we have been involved and local law enforcement and state law enforcement has detained 20,000 people in the last year in Florida. Director Guthrie told us in a committee earlier this afternoon that somewhere 14,000 and 15,000 people since it opened in July, have been detained at the so called Alligator Alcatraz. But we were told that these individuals were dangerous violent criminals. Your line item appears to describe trying to identify perhaps those individuals, but that's not who is being detained. My understanding is that only one in four of those individuals detained in Alligator Alcatraz actually has a violent criminal record. So do your detection efforts that you're asking for funding for, do they go beyond just finding people who are involved in transnational crimes, or is this just about searching and finding people who don't have documentation status, even if they've not committed any crimes while here in the United States. >> Mr. Chair. >> So, I would like to respond to your questions, sir, by putting what our focus is for FDLE. I cannot speak about Alligator Alcatraz. I can't speak about who's there, who's not there. I do not have that knowledge here personally with me for you today. But I will give an example as an FDLE special agent, and in entering my 30 year law enforcement, I've been involved in a lot of investigations, and some of the ones that I have focused in, so I'll give an example of what illegal immigration has brought in terms of transnational organized crime. I have been inside brothels. I have been inside crime scenes with dead bodies, and all of it relates back to events that involved illegal immigration, people who came here under the promise of being promised some type of improvement for their life situation, more money, whether it's working as a maid or working in a restaurant, to be thrown into captivity and then sold as a sex slave and moved all over the Southeastern United States. So that's to give you an example of my experience, and these are the things that FDLE we target and focus in on those efforts. Not to mention the fact the drugs that we investigate. Fentanyl? It comes from Mexico. A great deal. Ultimately, all of our intelligence, that's where it's coming from. Is it the actual cartel leaders that are bringing it across the border or moving it through different routes in the Caribbean? No, but a lot of times it's people who they get recruited and they may be illegal. We focus in on the criminal groups. That is our primary focus. That is not to say that if there is a collateral encounter with someone who is illegal, by Florida law, by law, we must work with our counterparts at the federal government to vet that individual. And obviously, if they're here illegally and they are detained, then they would be detained. >> Thank you. >> You have a question? [inaudible] >> Thank you for being here. Thank you, sir. A couple of questions. So the fentanyl, the SAFE Program, what is the latest designer drug called? Starts with an X, doesn't it? >> Xylazine. I'm sorry. >> That's okay. >> I don't know if I pronounce it right. >> Well, I'm just wondering, so if it's that, can we still use the 15 million? Is that part of, like, an overall eradication program? Doesn't have to be just fentanyl. >> Mr. Chair? >> Yeah. >> So in order for law enforcement agencies to receive funding for it, there must be a nexus to fentanyl. But what I will say for the committee is that these groups that are bringing in fentanyl, it's got cocaine with it. It's got marijuana. It has methamphetamine and xylazine. And we're seeing that in all of those. And I just highlighted the fentanyl we've taken off because fentanyl it kills people. It is a very deadly drug, and we focus on that, but I will tell you that as far as all drug. If you look at the Schedule I Schedule II illegal drugs in the State of Florida law enforcement, because of this program has taken off hundreds and hundreds and pounds of dope all over Florida. Please forgive me for my cop reference to the narcotics as dope. But yes, but to answer your question, very simply, sir, as long as there's an access to fentanyl, law enforcement agency will receive it. And if xylazine is in it, then I almost guarantee that fentanyl will also be associated. >> Thank you. One follow up. One last question in some of the smaller police agencies that are in my district are having a really tough time with all the public records requests. Are you enjoying public records requests in your department? >> There are a lot, sir, yes. >> So if you can may I follow up. So some of the smaller agencies that maybe have 35 sworn officers or less have an officer full time just taken care of. So we're taking an officer, a licensed officer off the street to fill public records request. And I'm on a warpath this session to see what I can do to help all law enforcement to not be so burdened by frivolous public records request. And I was just wondering, do you have any handle on how many people, or is there more than one person at FDLE that might be used for that purpose. >> Mr. Chair, I will tell you that our public records unit, they are swamped. It's very difficult to keep up with the- our agency are inundated with it, and we are continuously looking at staffing and ways to manage that. And we still have a huge backlog, just to be able to keep up with the amount of requests that come in. I do not have that number for you here today, what they are, sir, but I would be happy to get those to you at a later time. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> I'll turn the gavel over to the chair. >> Thank you, Vice Chair. Thank you, sir. Up next is Secretary Matt Walsh, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Good afternoon, sir. You're recognized. >> Good afternoon, Chair, Garcia, Vice Chair Martin and member of the Committee. Thank you for having me here today. I got the right one. Good. I'm here to discuss the highlights of the Department of Juvenile Justice ASK In GOVEx. You'll see in front of you, we have Florida Scholars Academy, uniforms for detention staff and youth, sustained Contractor Residential Services, Broward Juvenile Detention Center, and juvenile facilities security enhancements and maintenance. The first one, Florida Scholars Academy, the ask is for 3.7 million, and just to recap what the Florida Scholars Academy is, it is the Unified School District and 39 of our residential facilities, providing a continuity of education to every justice involved youth in a residential facility. Number of students in our residential commitment programs is growing. The increase in students has led to more graduates and the need for more teachers to support the scholars Academy operation. This funding will cover additional teachers, staff training, and equipment needed to serve the growing population of youth in residential commitment programs. This additional funding will increase the total funding for the Florida Scholars Academy to $34 million. Next is uniforms for detention staff and youth. Our juvenile detention officers are expected to meet a professional uniform standard. Many of our staff's current uniforms are beginning to show signs of wear, tear, and just age from daily use. In addition to the high turnover rate of detention officers, there's now a shortage of uniforms for incoming officers. Current uniforms for detention officers are considered class B or polo style shirts and dress pants. This funding will go towards purchasing new class A uniforms for our staff, which will meet professionalism standards. It'll be dress shirt and pants, as well as purchasing new uniforms for the youth. Next in the order is the contract of Services Systems, 30.1 million. This funding request will increase per diem by 17% for all non secure and secure residential commitment programs. These additional funds are needed to increase the per diem rates for all contracts to cover the rising costs foreseeable future. Simply put, kids are expensive, and we need more money to take care of the kids in an efficient and appropriate way. Broward Juvenile Detention Center, 41.3 million. Due to the legislature's previous investment to building new detention centers, the department is working with DMS and an architecture firm to finalize a design plan for this detention center. These funds would go toward constructing a new 45,000 square foot detention center in Broward County, that'll provide more beds for youth in a state of the art and updated detention center, which will include a JAC, a juvenile assessment center. They'll be co located, which is actually savings a doge effort on our behalf. Instead of two buildings, we'll have everything in one building. This requires us to demolish the existing Broward Detention Center and build the existing site. Last is juvenile detention facilities, security enhancements and maintenance for 29.4 million. This funding request is to repair and upgrade DJJ's aging facilities. The department maintains over 300 buildings statewide, and more than half of them are over 25-years-old. Along with routine maintenance needs, this funding will support security improvements within DJJ facilities, as well as emergency repairs, life safety projects, and renovations for the department's vacant Graceville facility. We're renovating Graceville to open a new program, and that's what we need the money for. Madam Chair, Vice Chair, this concludes my presentation. I'm available for any questions. >> Senators, any questions? Senator Osgood? No. >> I don't have a question, but I do have a comment. >> Okay. >> Thank you, and thank you for this presentation, and for some of the things that you're doing in here, I really like every time I see the Juvenile Detention Center, it makes me feel a little better. I have to avoid. It's like, really near my house, but it's so dilapidated and unacceptable. I have to avoid not going there so that I'm not like texting and calling y'all at 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM. But this concept of bringing the jag and the detention center together, that's a great concept because the way that it's separated now, it just really doesn't work. I'm on different county boards where I hear about it, too. So I appreciate that thinking and an opportunity to take care of this building before it gets us all in the news in a way that we don't want to be in the news. And I'm saying it here. So I represent the district, but I want all y'all to be responsible for it. I also want to continue to highlight what you're doing with the Florida Scholars Academy and how you've taken that over to really provide a very efficient and impactful education system to our children. I wish we didn't have to have jails for children, but sometimes they do things and they have to have a consequence. And that consequence is also an opportunity for us to prepare them to be productive members of society, to give them the tools that they need to move forward from those consequences and not to continue to recitivate. So I just appreciate your whole approach and what you're doing. I've been involved with this juvenile system for a very long time, and you give me a lot of hope. >> Thank you. We knew you'd be happy about that, Senator Osgood yesterday when we were going over the budget. Any questions? I'd like to ask you a question. And once again, I appreciate your work. Secretary Walsh, you're always accessible, very forward thinking. And we had had a conversation precisely about specialized education, how we can add more features to the Florida Scholars Academy, being that that had been a hiccup originally when they had rolled out. Any additional features with regards to specialized education that you can share with us? >> Thank you, Chair, and precisely the specialized education other than the standard education that's offered across schools throughout the whole state. Career technical classes are very important. Introducing the youth to the trades, whether it's welding or HVAC or culinary or IT, it is important that they have many avenues for success. Of course, we have the standard diploma, we have the GED. But when they get introduced to the trades and knowing that there is gainful employment. And a living wage in the trades that they can come out of our facilities and become a CDL driver or HVAC or a plumber or electrician and have a livable wage. That instills hope. And that goes to Senator Osgood. Having the right facility and also having my staff and the kids in the right clothes can instill a sense of pride, which instills hope. And that's what we are doing as a department. We are striving to instill a hope with the children so they know that they can succeed when they're done with our programs. >> Thank you, Secretary. Any further discussion, Senators? No. Debate. Senator Wright. >> All good information. I think it's a good optic to have the jag and the detention center. Actually they might scare the kids straight. What do you think? You can either perform here or you can live there. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, Secretary Walsh. >> Thank you. >> Coming up next is Secretary Ricky Dixon, Florida Department of Corrections. Good afternoon, sir. >> Hey, thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the opportunity and members to be here today to present. And, Madam Chair, I appreciate your support, too, and full approaches this morning with your comments. Thank you for that. I want to recognize a few correction officers behind me that represent thousands more out there and a lot here at the Capitol today, and just appreciate them so much for what they do every day, and a lot of them are watching this presentation, actually. I'll get started with first of all, we're asking for 430.6 million for supporting correctional officers. 373 million that's for competitive pay package designed to focus on recruitment and retention. As I expressed many times here, that is our biggest challenge. That actually takes in from $22 an hour to about $28 per hour. And this is also a comprehensive package. It's not just officers. It's the certified officer series, as well as classification staff, maintenance staff, non certified and essential corrections field staff. To include community corrections on that side as well, so important that we address it across the board and put this problem behind us that we've been dealing with for years, and we think this will get us well on our way. 56.7 million of that funding is for 500 additional FTE. As I shared, the population is growing, and we have to address that. So that's designed to help us target that increase. In correctional facility construction, we're asking for 56.4 million. That is to initiate building a project at Lancaster Correctional Institution, also to help us meet the growing population. Basically, we're demoing some inefficient old housing units, 32 person units and replacing them with more efficient greater economy of scale type buildings. It'll help with population growth. We're also moving on to correctional facility maintenance, I'm sorry, 20.7 million in that category. That is for the repair and renovation of existing facilities. 3.5 million of that is to increase contractor operated correctional facilities through the trust fund at the private prisons. 7.5 million is for institution standard repairs and maintenance. Seven million of that is fixed capital outlay environmental projects such as wastewater, etc. 2.5 million is for maintenance and repair. That's trust fund authority for the private prisons out of the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund, and then finally, 215,000 for the ADA requirements that we have to meet. In correctional communications expansion. We're asking for 18.5 million. 6.7 million of that is for teacher classroom connectivity. Again, grateful for all those teachers that we received a few years ago, but we need the IT networks in their areas. 3.5 million is for searching analytics technology, very important technology to help us combat. And mitigate security threats within our facilities. 5 million is for fixed managed access systems. That helps us combat the illicit cell phones, contraband cell phones in our institutions that are used to continue crime not only behind our fences, but in the communities, and 3.2 million for security operations, public safety radios and towers at a number of our facilities. OBS modernization, continuing the- that project with our fender based information system is 48.5 million. Inmate healthcare, we're asking for a 105.5 million. 60.2 million of that is for contracted inmate health services going back to fiscal year 25 26. That money is nonrecurring. So 23.3 million is for the CAP increase and 11 million is for additional healthcare staff at Taylor and Gulf Annex. Due to the population increase, we had to reopen those units that were previously closed. Same thing for fiscal year '26-'27, 12.2 million is for an increase in the CAP, consistent with the original contract. 3 million is for additional healthcare staff at Florida State Prison. Similar to Taylor, we had to open the West unit backup and expand as population increased, and 10.6 million for Med and Mod staffing at Lowell and South Florida Reception Center. We're going to start doing much more of the medical procedures behind the fence, reducing the need to take so many individuals outside into the community, into local hospitals. And finally, 45.3 million in pharmaceuticals, drug costs have just been on the rise. We actually think we're going to have good news though and be able to bring that number down in the coming weeks. Hopefully we have more information on that. Finally, food service price level and population increases, 26.6 million, to put it simply. The population expansion has caused us to need to grow that fund. And then also 10 million of the 98.3 is contract nonrecurring dollars, just inflationary cost to keep the per diem up where we can provide a meal. Our per diem is about $3.70 a day, and we can't do it much less than that and provide a decent meal. That was fast, but I stand ready for any questions. Thank you. >> Thank you, Secretary Dixon. Any questions? Senator Osgood, and then Senator Smith? >> Thank you. Just a quick question. When I looked at this, where is the cost for the mental health services you provide? >> You're recognized. >> Is that in the healthcare where it says inmate healthcare? It's in there? >> In the healthcare category, yes, ma'am. It falls within that current contract that we have outsourced now. >> Okay. >> Senator Smith, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Secretary Dixon, for your presentation and your service. I understand you have your hands full. And also, if I have a lot of questions, forgive me. Actually, the last time you presented before our committee, you gave a very thorough presentation, but we ran out of time, and I didn't have the ability to ask you additional questions. So let me start with some of what you mentioned here. You said with the and I apologize. I was walking back in after you started your presentation that we were moving from $22 an hour to $28 an hour. I presume that's from the $430 million you're asking for in the budget to help provide additional pay for Department of Corrections. So I remember in one of our conversations you had mentioned, obviously, our competitor to the north, if you want to think of it that way, is Alabama and the Alabama pays their corrections officers starting at $30 per hour, I believe. We're not getting there. So do you think this is enough to compete with a state like Alabama? I happen to think Florida's a better state. >> But folks need to pay their bills. I ain't trying to compare to Alabama, but it seems like it's still not enough. Am I wrong? >> I guess these officers, if they'd rather have 30 or 28, but I'm very grateful for where we are. I think it's a step in the right direction. It is the most significant pay increase I've seen in three decades in this business. So I understand that there's competing priorities for you all, for the executive and legislative branch, and I think it is a significant step in the right direction. And I think it is the number that will turn around retention on a dime. I think it'll make a major impact. I say a lot, we don't have that much of a recruitment challenge anymore, in most locations, not all, we're recruiting well. We're just not keeping people. And this, I think, will help with that retention piece. So we're very grateful for where we landed with this. >> Thank you for that. Secretary Dixon, permission for a follow-up? >> Yes. Follow-up. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. So, I knew you were present in the full Senate appropriations committee this morning, and a representative of the executive branch presented on behalf of DOC. Obviously, a more brief presentation. The conversation that I had with her in the committee was whether or not this investment is going to be something that's recurring. Obviously, it's a very large line item. I know that you recognize that and you were very humble in your request of our committee last time you spoke before us. But do you foresee that this is an installment? An installment plan that if you receive nearly half $1 billion to increase pay for corrections officers in this budget year, that you'll need a similar appropriation next year, that is not necessarily recurring or is it recurring to be able to continue that work? And I want to again couch my question in the context that I support your request. But I'm also worried that, as large as the request is that it perhaps is still not enough. And it's just the tip of the iceberg, as far as what represents just a woeful uninvestment in DOC over many years. >> Madam Chair. >> You're recognized, Secretary. >> First of all, thank you for the question, and I think Miss Kelly gave a very accurate response. I agree with what she said. I will say this, though, to your point. No, we're not done. We'll be back each year, asking for more and more in different categories because, you know, we get that a lot. Well, you were here last year, and the year before that, we gave you quite a bit, and you're back again. With the population growing, we know based on CGI projections, the population will continue to grow. We know that inflation is something we have to deal with going forward. So, there'll be continuous investments required going into the future. As she mentioned, that'll be a different administration, obviously, and we'll have to deal with that then, but this is not the final fix for the department. There'll always be additional needs, for sure. >> Thank you. Many of my questions in the last committee were answered when other senators asked them, so I won't rehash them, but a big topic of conversation today in committees has been immigration because the state's obsession with immigration enforcement, frankly, has tied through every single agency, including the Department of Corrections. My question for you is, I hate these silly nicknames. I apologize. Deportation Depot. I don't know what else to call it. That is no longer in the Department of Corrections' control, is that right? You're not involved with that at all. That is strictly an endeavor related to the division of emergency management. Is that right? >> You're recognized. >> That is correct. We never have. It's always been under the Department of Emergency Management, with the small exception of a few staff they've asked for as an advisory role to get that started. But that is under the Department of Emergency Management. >> Excellent. Any other questions? >> Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm curious about bed space, though, in our prisons. Are we currently making any bed space under the Department of Corrections available for the immigration enforcement effort? Even if you're being reimbursed for it. Is any bed space being made available? >> So I'd like to piggyback on that. I know that there might be some overwhelm in the system. Very grateful to the governor for the additional millions that we're now getting. But how are we doing to help you with that additional stress [LAUGHTER] that you now have in the correction system with regards to beds and services in general? >> I'll do my best to answer both as it relates to using state beds for that purpose, no, with the exception of using a facility that we closed several years ago that was not in use. As it relates to capacity in general, I want to thank our governor because had it not been for Governor DeSantis doing the things he did with that temporary National Guard inject and then with the pay increases, we would be in trouble with capacity. We're staying ahead of it, though, because capacity is kind of a complicated conversation, but our capacity issue has not been physical space. It's been staff in the right locations to man the physical space we have now, and that's been a result of inadequate pay. So by addressing the pay, we're drawing people back to those locations where we can appropriately staff. So we have plans to stay ahead of the capacity need for the state. I hope I answered that. >> Follow-up, Senator? Yes. >> Thank you. And just a clarification. So DOC, you're not renting beds from the state prisons for any immigration detainees. I just wanted to get that clarification. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. Any other questions, Senators? Any discussion? I think we have Senator Right. >> Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Thank you again for being here. Ricky Dickson. So when you say 500 FTEs, do you know the number? What was the maximum number of state guards or national guardsmen that you had? Was it 400? >> It was 400 at one time. Yes, sir. >> Yeah. So I just wanted to bring that out there so people aren't thinking that you're going from zero to 500 more people. >> Now, I want to point out as well that we've gained 10,000 inmates since January of 2021, so it's proportionate to that increase. >> Yes, thank you. I thought it's important committee to know that you've needed these 500 FTEs for quite a while. And the state guard has been providing a state guard. National Guard has been doing a heck of a good job helping you. They've lived elsewhere, and you need to fill the spots. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. >> Thank you, Senator Osgood. >> I'm sorry. I'm harping on this a little bit, but I need to understand. I'm going back to the healthcare line. And you guys know how I feel about this. I think if we treat people with substance use disorder disease, we can cut a lot of the costs that we incur in jails. If someone like me is arrested and my addiction is never treated, I'm just going to recidivize because we're not getting to the root of the problem. So when I asked you earlier about the mental health dollars, the money you receive for mental health, how do you use it? Is it used to have staff to deal with people with mental health issues, like psychologists, psychiatrists? When I see inmate healthcare, is that money used to also deal with the actual inmate? For example, in my mind, I'm saying I know a large number of people in prison have substance use disorder disease. A disease that I live with, clean and sober for 36 years, praise God. But I know a lot of people that have it that don't admit it because denial is a part of it. So they may have other mental health severe diagnoses. So I'm trying to understand that whole mental health piece and how it plays out in jail and how you're funded for that. >> Madam Chair? >> Yes, you're recognized. >> Yes, ma'am. So we outsource healthcare services, and that's about a 550-ish, maybe a little less than that, $1 million contract a year. And it's a comprehensive contract. It covers everything to do with health services with the exception of pharmacy. And within that is the mental health funding. And the company we outsource with provides that mental health treatment, the substance use treatment. There's a lot of co-occurring issues with substance use, mental health, obviously, and they do a very good job with their practitioners and professionals to not only identify the specific needs and put them in the right areas for the appropriate treatment with those providers. >> Follow-up question? >> Yes, follow up. >> Thank you. So I'm going to ask you a question that we normally don't talk about out loud, but we're family, and if we don't talk about it, we can't help you. And so, in our jails in Florida, should we be concerned that there's a substance use problem within the jails? And I'm not asking to go after anyone. These are real live things that happen. I'm sorry. I watched the Alabama solution. And so when Senator Smith said, Alabama I got to make sure that because they're getting down in Alabama, mistreating those people. So now he got me going. So do we feel that we have a problem in our jail systems with substance use? >> You recognize, Secretary. >> Yes, ma'am. And every prison across the United States, they're dealing with this. I meet nationally frequently with my colleagues, and it is an issue, but it boils down to how does it get in. And there's a myriad of ways that those substances get in. We combat it as best we can. We're dealing with drones, drone drops. We're dealing with illegal cell phones, contraband cell phones, where they coordinate drug drops, and they're very sophisticated in the ways they get that in. The way you combat it is what we're doing. You address your staffing issue because when you have proper staffing with proper staffing, it's still going to get in from time to time. But when you have insufficient staffing, your searches go down, all the things that we know how to do to prevent it from coming in is diminished. So I applaud you all and the House and the Senate and the governor and the executive branch for addressing the staffing because that's 70-80% of the issue is getting that addressed. So the better we improve that, the better this issue will improve as well. >> Follow-up, Senator? >> And thank you for sharing that information. I think it's important that we have these conversations out loud sometimes. I'm in a county where I constantly hear my chef say, We're not safe because he doesn't have enough money. And sometimes when you make policy, you're looking at budgets and you're trying to manage numbers efficiently, but you sometimes don't have the whole picture of what happens if I don't do that. So I wanted to have an open conversation about that so that we can continue to do what we need to do so that we don't have those massive problems like that in our jail system, and you can't do it without our help or without the people to help you do it. And I just want to close by thanking the correctional officers that are here today and for their service. A lot of times, the people inside the jails, they go through a lot. And nobody really understands what they're dealing with on a daily basis. So I just want to take this opportunity to say, thank you. >> Thank you, Mass, add one thing very quickly. I do want to credit the federal legislators, because there's been the most significant change in decades recently as it relates to drone and cell phones with the FAA and the SEC. They're working on some legislation right now that's going to totally help us combat by making sure that we can mitigate the drone threats through technology when they come over our property. Same with cell phones. We're about to move into an area where we can start blocking cell phone signals behind the fences. We've been advocating that. Florida's been leading the way on that as well, with a few other states, Texas and Georgia. And we have legislation moving. It was federal legislation. It wasn't stated at our level, but that's going to really enhance the safety and security behind our fences. >> Thank you. Senator Simon, I think Senator Smith had one more question. I'd like to remind everyone. No, we have a presentation from the governor's office pending, and we're running four bills today in Committee. Thank you, Senator Simon. >> Thank you so much. And I will be really quick. I know one of the issues because I represent so many prisons in my district, housing. How are we targeting some of that area? You know, I know some of our prisons here are focusing on that housing and having housing for our correctional officers on site. Are we expanding that? And what does that currently look like? >> We are. We were able to pick up some of the housing left behind when the National Guard departed, we were able to purchase some of those units. We have bought some very inexpensive additional housing, mobile units, like some of our hard-to-fill locations. That is a huge help when we can do that. We're continuing to look for ways to help in that area. But some of the geographic locations of these prisons are in high-cost areas, and housing is another thing impacting our attention and recruitment. >> Follow-up, Senator? >> No. >> Okay, thank you. Senators' discussion? >> Yes. >> Senator Smith. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Look, I don't usually say a lot in discussion, but we're not really going to have a lot of opportunities to discuss this publicly in this forum before the budget is put together. I support what Secretary Dixon is asking for, but he's in a position where he can ask for as much as he can, let's just say get from the legislature and still be able to do his job. He needs much more. And he's not able to ask for that, but I can say it on my own behalf. Through my limited experience and observation, all we have to do still is look at the KPMG report. They said that we had over $2 billion in immediate needs. They said that we had $6 billion in overall capital costs to address the issues that these institutions are facing. That doesn't even include the cost of new dorms that are at existing prison locations. It doesn't include new construction for facilities to accommodate the growing prison population. We have to remember, as we are looking at this large request, rightfully so, that there are young, 20-something-year-olds with no experience who are watching over hundreds of men by themselves because they have no staff. We have a whole fleet of vehicles at the Department of Corrections that is way below the DMS standard. They're breaking down full of incarcerated people. That's dangerous. You said it in the last committee, Secretary, and you're right. If we're going to be a tough-on-crime state, we have to understand what that means dollars and cents on the back end of being tough on crime with an aging and overflowing prison population that is woefully underfunded. That's it. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, Secretary Dixon, for your service. >> Thank you, Senator Smith, and I appreciate you, too, Secretary Dixon. I know the challenges that you have had. I so appreciate law enforcement and as you mentioned, the young men that are looking over hundreds and hundreds of inmates, but extremely grateful to the governor's office for the additional funding in this silo in particular. We're focusing on new domes, new ideas, new technology, healthcare, additional incentives for just regular basic needs like food. So grateful. >> Thank you so much, sir. >> Thank you, Ma'am. Thank you all. >> Thank you. Next, Caitlyn Dawkins, policy coordinator for the Office of the Governor. Good afternoon. >> Afternoon. >> And you are recognized. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to close by highlighting a few issues for the Department of Legal Affairs, the state courts, and the Justice Administrative Commission. The Floridians' budget provides the Department of Legal Affairs with more than $1 million to assist with increased operating costs related to increased payments and $3.8 million for IT initiatives. The governor's budget also recommends the following additional funding to support the state court system by providing $1.6 million to allow district courts of appeal judges to reclassify their judicial assistant positions to an entry-level staff attorney position based on available funding. $1.5 million to replace three elevators and modernize the surveillance system at the Florida Supreme Court, and 25 additional judgeships and associated funding of $8.5 million. This recommendation is supported by the Supreme Court's opinion certifying the need for 13 circuit court judges and 12 county court judges. Finally, the Floridians' first budget provides $3.1 million for increased due process cost to all state attorneys' offices and the Public Defender in circuit nine, who has consistently experienced a deficit. I would like to thank Senate staff for their partnership and the committee for the opportunity to present today. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Senators, any additional questions? Discussion? Thank you very much. Thank you. I did have- one moment, I did have an appearance form. I have Lorette Phillipson, who was, I'm not sure speaking. Thank you. Hi, Lorette, forgive me. I think you wanted to speak right after Department of Corrections. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. Thank you, Chair and committee members. My name is Lloyd Phillips, and I'm a Florida resident and taxpayer. Today, I'm asking this body to shift its focus back to basic human needs inside our correctional institution. For instance, Miami, I'm sorry, Martin, and Dade CIs, they have no second blankets. Many people across the state do not have coats. Rocks or even proper shoes, only shower slides. They are hungry because the food budget is not funded properly. We have people going without timely medical care, institutions, no heat, no hot water, roofs that are leaking, mold growing, water stations that are breaking down, birds flying in and out of a dining hall and dormitories due to broken windows. Basic needs such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, not provided. These are not minor inconveniences. These are failure of infrastructure and responsibility. I support fair wage, but wages alone will not fix buildings, empty food trays, missing medical care, or people without proper clothing. Raising the wage, right now, it's $22 an hour. When you factor in retirement plan, healthcare, 401K, Social Security, that's over $40 an hour that they're presently getting. If we're going to continue to house people at these levels, then we must prepare to maintain institutions that hold them. The priority must be fixing the conditions, not ignoring them. Thank you. >> Can I ask a question? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Any particular facilities that you'd like to single out that are going through these deficits that are having these issues? >> Well, Martin, CI, and Dade CI, they don't have second blankets. >> Okay. >> RMC, their coats are being taken away because they don't have buttons on them. They were distributed without buttons. So, not the incarcerated persons is problem. >> Senator Smith, you want to ask her a question? No. >> Well, you always want to ask a Madam. I just want to say thank you, Lorette, for speaking. I know you didn't have an opportunity to speak at the last committee because we ran out of time, and I want to apologize on behalf of the committee for that. It's very important that we hear from those who are directly impacted, from folks who have family and loved ones in our state prison. So I just appreciate your work to elevate this. You're right, because the wages are not gonna fix some of these other issues that we have. >> Thank you. >> Appreciate you, Laura. Thank you so much. Thank you. So we are rapidly going to move over to bills. I'd like us to take up Tab 3. Thank you so much, Caitlin. I think it is Tab 3 SB 156 on criminal offenses against law enforcement officers and other personnel by Senator Leach. Senator Leach, you are recognized. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to present this, Bill. This is the Jason Rayner Act. You may recognize it from years past. This act is the same one that we passed last year, and if you'll allow me briefly to tell Officer Rayner's story, I will. On June 23, 2021, Daytona Beach Officer Jason Rayner was shot in the head by Othal Wallace, and he died on August 21, 2021, as a result of his energy excuse me, injuries. Officer Rayner approached Wallace, sitting in a car that met the description of a stolen vehicle behind an apartment complex, and asked him if he lived there. Wallace became agitated and tried to exit the vehicle. Officer Rayner instructed him to stay in the vehicle. Wallace refused and shoved Officer Rayner. Wallace then pulled a gun and shot Officer Rayner in the head before fleeing to Georgia. It took less time for Othal Wallace to make the decision to shoot Officer Rayner than it took me to explain what happened that fateful night. Wallace was charged with murder of a law enforcement officer. He asserted that he was justified in shooting the officer as self-defense. He ended up being found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years, but manslaughter is a lesser unintended consequence, despite the fact that Mr. Wallace also had posted on his Facebook page about killing pigs and many other things. Florida law provides that a person may not lawfully use force or violence to resist a law enforcement officer in an arrest or detention. However, because applicable statutes and jury instructions reference an officer's execution of illegal duty, some defendants have claimed an unlawful detention or arrest in an attempt to justify using force against that officer. In the case of Wallace, prosecutors sought a first-degree murder charge against Wallace. However, the jury ultimately found Wallace guilty of a lesser charge. This legislation puts the determination of who was at fault during a police interaction where it belongs, fully in the hands of the court. The bill also clarifies that a person cannot resist an officer with violence or threat of violence when an officer is engaged in the performance of his or her official duties. Specifically, this legislation amends 776.051 to change the current requirement for a law enforcement officer to be engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty to a requirement that a law enforcement officer be engaged in the performance of his or her official duties. Current law does not carry an enhanced penalty for manslaughter when it involves law enforcement. This legislation would change that. And members, that is the bill. >> Thank you. Senator, there is an amendment. >> Yes. >> Okay, let's take up Amendment 539084, by Senator Leach. Senator Leach, you're recognized to explain the amendment. >> Thank you. This amendment is technical in nature. It also conforms the bill to the language that the House has. Specifically, it changes the word acting to engaged. ;>> Excellent. Thank you. Are there any questions on the Amendment, Senators? No. Are there any appearance forms for the amendment? No. Is there any debate on the amendment? Senator Leach, you're recognized to close on the amendment. Very close. All in favor of the amendment, say aye, all opposed, say nay. Excellent. The amendment is adopted. Back on the bill as amended. Senators, are there any questions on the bill as amended? We do have appearance forms. We have Anna Reagan, Florida Sheriff's Association, who is speaking. In support, no, just waving. My bad. My glasses. William Smith. Also is waving in support. Molly Hudson is waving in support. Mike Ward is waving in support, Suncoast PBA. John Vasquez is waving in support, Suncoast PBA, Sam Wagoner waving in support, Florida League of Cities, and Jennifer Cook Pritt, Florida Police Chiefs Association, is also waving in support. Is there any debate on the bill as amended? >> Yes. >> Okay, Senator right? >> Thank you very much, Madam Chair. And Senator Leach, thank you again for bringing this most important bill up. This happened in our- both our district in Volusia County. And that particular night when this happened, I honestly happened to be on the phone with Sheriff Chitwood talking about things, when he abruptly said, Something's happened, I got to go. And then he called me back an hour and a half later and said, It's bad. And then following that, I was privy to see the body camera of Officer Rayner. And it was overwhelming. We need to protect our law enforcement officers, and thank you for bringing this bill forward. >> Senator Smith. You are? Okay, great. Thank you. Senator Osgood? >> I was late on the question. If you could just address this for me in your clothes, Senator Leach, I'm trying to understand the logic in the manslaughter. So would DUI manslaughter also be on this list? For example, could a prosecutor charge just regular manslaughter instead of DUI and get instead of a four year minimum mandatory, a life minimum mandatory if a cop was killed in a DUI traffic crash, if you could just address that in your clothes. Thank you. Senator Leach, you're recognized to clues on the Bills amended. Yeah, I haven't been asked that question before, so I'm trying to process it, but I believe the answer is yes. If you commit manslaughter on or if you kill an officer, well, this actually deals with Yeah, I need to think about that. I'm sorry. This actually deals with violence, resisting arrest with violence. So I'm not sure that that would be resisting arrest with violence. We could probably come up with a scenario where it did, but give me a little bit to think about that. You members, if I can close very quickly here, I got to spend some time this off-season with the Rayner family. This is important. This is important to them. This is its third year moving through the process. And it's time we brought some closure to the Rayner family. So I ask for your support. >> Thank you, Senator Leach. Sheila, please call the roll on CS for SB 156. >> Senator Osgood? >> Yeah. >> Senator Polski? Senator Simon? >> Yes. >> Senator Smith? >> No. >> Senator Wright? >> Yes. >> Senator Yarbrough? >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Martin? >> Yes. >> Chair Garcia? >> Yes. And by your vote, CS for SB 156 is reported favorably. Thank you, Senator Leach. Now we'll be taking up tab two, CS for SB 54 on use of substances affecting cognitive function by Senator Sharif. Senator Sharif, you're recognized to explain the bill. >> Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Garcia, members of the committee. I also have an amendment to this bill. Do you want me to take the amendment first or take the bill? >> Sure. Take the amendment up first. >> Sure. And we'll be taking up Amendment 188756 by Senator Sharif. Okay. Thank you, Chair. This amendment makes a targeted classification to CSSP 54 while maintaining the bill's overall structure and purpose. The amendment focuses specifically on the medical records provision. It clarifies that the scope of records that may be furnished to law enforcement agency upon request, and it limits that information to records that may be relevant to investigating a violent offender as defined in the bill. Amended, the language makes clear that any records provided are limited in the scope and related to an individual's mental or psychological condition, including records associated with the prescription or use of psychotropic drugs or other substances that may contribute to that condition. The intent of the amendment is to provide clarity, ensure consistency with the bill's definitions, and maintain an appropriate balance between investigative needs and existing medical privacy protections. >> Thank you, Senator. Are there any questions on the amendment? Are there any appearance forms on the amendment? No. Is there any debate on the amendment? Senator, would you like to close on the amendment? >> Wave close. >> Forgive me. All in favor of the amendment, say aye. All opposed say nay. The amendment is adopted. Now we're back on the bill as amended. Are there any questions on the bill? No. Okay, I have appearance forms. Correct. Kathy Swigart from Clearwater is in support. Waving in support, correct? Barbara Hills. Also is waving in support, CCHR Florida. Great. Now we will return to the bill as amended. Correct. Are there any questions on the bill as amended? A debate on the bill as amended? >> Okay. Senator Sharif, you're recognized to close on the bill as amended. >> Wave close. >> Thank you. Sheila, please call the rule on CS for SB 54. >> Senator Osgood? >> Yes. >> Senator Polski? Senator Simon? >> Yes. >> Senator Smith? >> No. >> Senator Wright? >> Yes. >> Senator Yarbrough? >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Martin? >> Yes. >> Chair Garcia. >> Yes. And by your vote, CS for SB 54 is reported favorably. Thank you, Senator Sharif. Now we are moving over to CINCO. >> Number 5, Tab 5, CS/SB 298 on public records, victims