[HISTORY: Adopted by the Suffolk County Legislature 9-9-2021 by Res. No. 707-2021. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A permanent Task Force on Hate Crimes in Suffolk County (“Task Force”) is hereby created to examine the source of racial tension in the County, to study and analyze the mechanisms used to report hate crimes in the County, and to provide recommendations on current hate crime legislation.
This Task Force shall consist of the following 15 members:
A. 
One representative from the County Legislature, to be selected by the Presiding Officer;
B. 
One representative from the County Legislature, to be selected by the Minority Leader;
C. 
A representative from the County Executive’s office, to be selected by the County Executive;
D. 
A Clergyman, to be selected by the County Legislature;
E. 
Two representatives from the Suffolk County community at large, to be selected by the County Legislature;
F. 
A representative of the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Unit;
G. 
A representative from the Hispanic community in Suffolk County, to be selected by the County Legislature;
H. 
A representative from the Black or African American community in Suffolk County, to be selected by the County Legislature;
I. 
A representative from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Suffolk County, to be selected by the County Legislature;
J. 
A representative from the Jewish community, to be selected by the County Legislature;
K. 
A representative from the LGBTQ+ community in Suffolk County, to be selected by the County Legislature;
L. 
A representative from the Suffolk County Anti-Bias Task Force;
M. 
A representative from one of the Suffolk County School Districts, to be selected by the County Legislature; and
N. 
A representative from the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission.
The Chairperson of the Task Force shall be chosen from one of the representatives from the Legislature appointed to the Task Force by the Presiding Officer or Minority Leader.
The Task Force shall hold its first meeting no later than 30 days after the oaths of office of all members have been filed, which meeting shall be convened by the Chairperson of the Task Force, for the purpose of organization and the appointment of a Vice Chairperson and a Secretary.
The members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation and shall serve at the pleasure of their respective appointing authorities.
A. 
The Task Force shall hold regular meetings, keep a record of all its proceedings, and determine the rules of its own proceedings with special meetings to be called by the Chairperson upon his or her own initiative or upon receipt of a written request therefor signed by at least three members of the Task Force. Written notice of the time and place of such special meetings shall be given by the Secretary to each member at least four days before the date fixed by the notice for such special meeting.
B. 
Eight members of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum to transact the business of the Task Force at both regular and special meetings.
C. 
The Task Force may conduct such informal hearings and meetings at any place or places within the County of Suffolk for the purpose of obtaining necessary information or other data to assist it in the proper performance of its duties and functions as it deems necessary.
D. 
The Task Force may delegate to any member of the Task Force the power and authority to conduct such hearings and meetings.
The Task Force shall cooperate with the Legislative Committees of the County Legislature and make available for each Committee’s use, upon request, any records and other data it may accumulate or obtain.
The Task Force is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to hold at least two public hearings annually throughout the County of Suffolk to assemble the data and information necessary to complete the valuation, study and report required with all reasonable efforts to be made to ascertain the views, wishes and opinions of the residents of Suffolk County.
A. 
The Task Force shall issue an annual written report on the current impact of racial tensions and hate crimes on Suffolk County, the rate at which hate crimes occur in the County and the manners in which they may be reported, as well as trends noticed over a period of years and any barriers to reporting or prosecution of hate crimes.
B. 
This special Task Force shall submit a written report of its annual activities, including all findings and determinations from the prior year together with its recommendations for action, if any, to each member of the County Legislature and the County Executive by July 31 of each year.
C. 
The Task Force shall present its annual report at a regular meeting of the Government Operations, Personnel, Information Technology and Diversity Committee.
The work of this Task Force shall not be performed by any outside consultant or consulting firm unless explicit approval and authorization for such consultant or consulting firm is granted pursuant to a duly enacted resolution of the County Legislature.