Downloads
CS/CS/CS/HB 1371 — Law Enforcement Officers and Other Personnel
by Judiciary Committee; Budget Committee; Criminal Justice Subcommittee; and Reps. Nix, Alvarez, D., and others (CS/CS/CS/SB 1444 by Fiscal Policy Committee; Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Criminal Justice Committee; and Senator Collins)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Criminal Justice Committee (CJ)
Critical Infrastructure Mapping Grant Program
The bill creates s. 943.0413, F.S., to establish the Critical Infrastructure Mapping Grant Program within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), subject to Legislative appropriation, to support the ongoing assessment of the state’s vulnerability to, and ability to recover from, acts of terrorism. Funding is available to the state, or any law enforcement agency, county, municipality, or other political subdivision, or any agent thereof, which has constitutional or statutory authority to employ or appoint law enforcement officers.
Grant funds may be used to map critical infrastructure, public gathering places, places of worship, and any other location for which a map would be deemed of high value for facilitating an emergency response. The bill provides requirements for each map that is created.
Blood Testing of Inmates
The bill requires any first responder, or any employee or officer of the sheriff or chief correctional officer who is exposed to a bodily fluid or potential bloodborne pathogen by a person who has been arrested and booked into a county or municipal detention facility to provide notice of such exposure within 24 hours of the exposure. The detention facility must test the inmate who was the cause of exposure, upon receipt of the notice.
The bill requires all detention facilities to update its written procedures for blood testing of an inmate to:
- Specify the conditions which require immediate testing of the inmate;
- Require the test results be provided to:
- The sheriff or chief correctional officer of the detention facility;
- Employees or officers who are responsible for the care and custody of the affected inmate; and
- Any employees, officers, or first responders who provided notice of exposure to the detention facility
Florida Medal of Valor and Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal
The bill creates two state honorary medals. First, the Florida Medal of Valor for first responders, and related personnel, which may only be awarded to a first responder or related personnel who goes above and beyond the call of duty to save lives. Second, the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal for law enforcement, which must be awarded to a law enforcement officer, firefighter, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer who is injured in the line of duty.
These awards, must be issued and administered by the FDLE and are authorized to be presented by the Governor or his or her designee. The bill provides guidelines for the nomination and selection of recipients.
Vehicle Kill Switches
The bill prohibits a person from using any device that can be remotely activated to disable a vehicle’s engine or to prevent a vehicle's engine from starting unless he or she is:
- the owner of the vehicle;
- a law enforcement officer acting in the course and scope of his or her duties to prevent a felony; or
- any person acting on behalf of a company that offers a subscription, recurring payment program, or lease in connection with the vehicle.
This prohibition does not apply to the manufacture of the vehicle. A violation of this provision is a second degree misdemeanor.
Other Criminal Justice Provisions
Additionally, the bill:
- Specifies that a first responder who has a physical disability resulting from an amputation may continue to serve as a first responder if he or she meets the first responder certification requirements without accommodation.
- Requires a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years for first degree attempted murder of specified justice system personnel.
- Encourages each state attorney to adopt a pro-prosecution policy for the false reporting of crimes.
- Prohibits a person from depriving specified officers of digital recording devices or restraints and prohibiting a person from rendering such officers’ weapons, radios, digital recording devices, or restraints useless.
- Provides that a search warrant issued for a computer, a computer system, or an electronic device that is in the actual possession of a law enforcement agency at the time such warrant is issued must be returned to the court within 45 days after issuance.
- Revises procedures for handling missing persons reports by changing the required review of cases from monthly to annually in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).
- Extends the reporting deadline, requiring that missing persons reports be submitted to NamUs within 90 days of being filed, rather than within two hours.
- Removes the requirement that law enforcement enter specified information into NamUs.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, these provisions take effect July 1, 2025.
Vote: Senate 37-0; House 111-0