Florida Senate - 2018              PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
       Bill No. SB 1156
       
       
       
       
       
                               Ì522090xÎ522090                          
       
       576-03020-18                                                    
       Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
       (Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education)
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to missing persons with special needs;
    3         amending s. 937.041, F.S.; expanding pilot projects
    4         for missing persons with special needs to the regional
    5         autism centers; requiring each center that opts to
    6         join the pilot project to distribute personal devices
    7         under certain circumstances; revising the requirements
    8         for personal devices used in the pilot project;
    9         conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
   10         deleting a reporting requirement; providing an
   11         effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 937.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   16  read:
   17         937.041 Missing persons with special needs pilot project
   18  projects.—
   19         (1)(a) There is created a statewide pilot project in
   20  Alachua, Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties, to be
   21  known as “Project Leo,” through regional autism centers
   22  established under s. 1004.55. Each center that opts to join the
   23  pilot project shall distribute to provide personal devices to
   24  aid search-and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs in
   25  the case of elopement.
   26         (b)There is created an additional pilot project in Palm
   27  Beach County to provide personal devices to aid search-and
   28  rescue efforts for persons with special needs in the case of
   29  elopement.
   30         (c)There is created an additional pilot project in
   31  Hillsborough County to provide personal devices to aid search
   32  and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs in the case of
   33  elopement.
   34         (2)(a)1. Participants for the pilot project specified in
   35  paragraph (1)(a) shall be selected based on criteria developed
   36  by each participating center based on the specific needs of that
   37  center’s service area counties prescribed under s. 1004.55 the
   38  Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University of
   39  Florida.
   40         2.Participants for the pilot project specified in
   41  paragraph (1)(b) shall be selected based on criteria developed
   42  by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida
   43  Atlantic University.
   44         3.Participants for the pilot project specified in
   45  paragraph (1)(c) shall be selected based on criteria developed
   46  by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the
   47  University of South Florida.
   48         (b) Criteria for participation in the pilot project
   49  projects must include, at a minimum, the person’s risk of
   50  elopement. The qualifying participants shall be selected on a
   51  first-come, first-served basis by the respective centers to the
   52  extent of available funding within their existing resources. The
   53  Each project must be voluntary and free of charge to
   54  participants.
   55         (3) Under the each pilot project, personal devices to aid
   56  search-and-rescue efforts which are attachable to clothing or
   57  otherwise worn shall be provided by the respective center to the
   58  sheriff’s offices of the participating counties. The devices
   59  shall be distributed to project participants by the county
   60  sheriff’s offices in conjunction with the respective center. The
   61  respective center shall fund any costs associated with
   62  monitoring the devices.
   63         (4)Each center shall submit a preliminary report by
   64  December 1, 2016, and a final report by December 15, 2017, to
   65  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
   66  the House of Representatives describing the implementation and
   67  operation of its pilot project. At a minimum, each report must
   68  include the criteria used to select participants, the number of
   69  participants, the nature of the participants’ special needs, the
   70  number of participants who elope, the amount of time taken to
   71  rescue such participants following elopement, and the outcome of
   72  any rescue attempts. Each final report shall also provide
   73  recommendations for modification or continued implementation of
   74  the project.
   75         (4)(5)The Each project shall operate to the extent of
   76  available funding within the respective center’s existing
   77  resources.
   78         (5)(6) This section expires June 30, 2019 2018.
   79         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.