The Florida Senate

In case of emergency, and when necessary to provide protection and security to any client, to the personnel, equipment, buildings, or grounds of a department or agency facility, or to citizens in the surrounding community, institutional security personnel may, when authorized by the administrator of the facility or her or his designee when the administrator is not present, use a chemical weapon against a patient housed in a forensic facility. However, such weapon shall be used only to the extent necessary to provide protection and security. Under no circumstances shall any officer carry a chemical weapon on her or his person except during the period of the emergency for which its use was authorized. All chemical weapons shall be placed in secure storage when their use is not authorized as provided in this section.

The department, the agency, or an entity contracting with the department or agency to operate a forensic facility under this chapter is considered an employing agency as that term is defined in s. 943.10 and is authorized to employ certified correctional officers as institutional security personnel. This authority applies retroactively to all certified officers employed in such capacity beginning January 1, 1974.