Florida Senate - 2016                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 936
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì390296CÎ390296                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/01/2016           .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————




       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Clemens) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 31 - 45
    4  and insert:
    5         (2) Unless extenuating circumstances exist, a psychiatrist,
    6  psychologist, mental health counselor, special education
    7  instructor, clinical social worker, speech therapist, or related
    8  professional, each of whom must have experience treating,
    9  teaching, or assisting patients or clients who have been
   10  diagnosed with autism, an autism spectrum disorder, or a related
   11  developmental disability, or must be certified in special
   12  education with a concentration focused on persons with autism,
   13  an autism spectrum disorder, or a related developmental
   14  disability, must be present to assist a law enforcement officer,
   15  a correctional officer, or another public safety official during
   16  all interviews of an individual with autism, an autism spectrum
   17  disorder, or a related developmental disability, whether the
   18  individual being interviewed is the victim of a crime, the
   19  suspect in a crime, or the defendant formally accused of a crime
   20  or is otherwise involved in the criminal justice system. If
   21  extenuating circumstances exist and it is not possible to delay
   22  the interview until such a professional is available, a law
   23  enforcement officer, a correctional officer, or another public
   24  safety official must document the circumstances in writing and
   25  make a professional available as soon as practicable. An
   26  individual with autism, an autism spectrum disorder, or a
   27  related developmental disability may be held for a reasonable
   28  period of time until a professional is retained by the
   29  individual or his or her representative. The cost of the
   30  professional must be borne by the individual.
   31  
   32  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   33  And the title is amended as follows:
   34         Delete line 14
   35  and insert:
   36         persons unless extenuating circumstances exist;
   37         requiring a law enforcement officer, a correctional
   38         officer, or another public safety official to document
   39         in writing any extenuating circumstances; authorizing
   40         a law enforcement officer, a correctional officer, or
   41         another public safety official to hold persons with
   42         autism, an autism spectrum disorder, or a related
   43         developmental disability for a reasonable period of
   44         time under certain circumstances; providing that the
   45         cost of retaining a professional must be borne by such
   46         persons; providing an effective date.
   47