An increase in the size and enforcement abilities of the Florida State Guard was among 12 bills focusing on the military and veterans sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.
One of the measures (HB 1285) would boost from 400 to 1,500 members of the mostly volunteer Florida State Guard, which DeSantis revived last year.
The proposal also would allow the director of the state guard to set up a specialized law enforcement unit that, when active, would have the same authority as a law enforcement agency. The members of the unit are required to be certified as law enforcement officers.
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Lawmakers included $107.5 million in the state budget (SB 2500) for DeSantis’ goal of expanding the guard.
The funding includes nearly $49.5 million for aircraft and helicopters, $22.7 million for equipment storage, $10 million for a guard headquarters, $2.7 million for maritime craft and $1.5 million to create a “Digital Forensic Center of Excellence” that, in part, will concentrate on human-trafficking and child-exploitation cases.
The Florida State Guard was initially set up during World War II to replace Florida National Guard members who were deployed abroad.
It went inactive in 1947 but remained in state law. As it was revived last year, the state guard was promoted as assisting the Florida National Guard during emergencies.
DeSantis has until June 6 to act on the bills. The $119 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 has yet to be delivered to DeSantis.
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