HB 1011

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Crisis Intervention Team program;
3	providing for adoption of the program as a pilot program;
4	directing the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
5	Institute at the University of South Florida to conduct a
6	study of the Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T.) program;
7	providing the purpose of the study; providing for a
8	report; providing for funding; providing an effective
9	date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  It is the intent of the Legislature to reduce
14	the number of arrests for people with serious mental illnesses
15	and reduce the use of force-related injuries involving people
16	with serious mental illnesses. Therefore, the Department of Law
17	Enforcement is authorized to adopt the Crisis Intervention Team
18	(C.I.T.) program as a pilot program to provide lessons for its
19	statewide use by other law enforcement agencies.
20	Section 2.  The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health
21	Institute at the University of South Florida shall conduct a
22	study of the Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T.) program being
23	used by the members of the Florida C.I.T. Coalition, which is a
24	coalition of several counties involving law enforcement
25	agencies, community providers, and families and consumers
26	developing the core standards for a consistent C.I.T. program
27	for the state. The purpose of the study will be to look at the
28	effectiveness of the C.I.T. program related to a reduction in
29	arrests for people with serious mental illnesses as well as an
30	increase in jail diversion activities, a reduction in the use of
31	force-related injuries, and identification of those core
32	elements of the C.I.T. program that make it an effective police
33	response. The institute, in conjunction with the Florida C.I.T.
34	Coalition, will submit a report of the findings of its study,
35	which shall include recommendations as to whether the C.I.T
36	program should be adopted by all law enforcement agencies as a
37	best practice, recommendations as to the resources necessary to
38	assist communities in adopting the C.I.T. program, and
39	recommendations as to other training needs for law enforcement
40	agencies related to people with serious mental illnesses, to the
41	Legislature and the Department of Law Enforcement by July 1,
42	2006.
43	Section 3.  The Department of Law Enforcement is authorized
44	to use up to $175,000 to contract with the Louis de la Parte
45	Florida Mental Health Institute to implement this act.
46	Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.