Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 154
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       33-00320-17                                            2017154__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to autism awareness training for law
    3         enforcement officers; creating s. 943.1727, F.S.;
    4         requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to
    5         establish an online continued employment training
    6         component relating to autism spectrum disorder;
    7         specifying instruction to be included in the training
    8         component; providing that completion of the training
    9         may count toward continued employment instruction
   10         requirements; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         943.1727 Continued employment training relating to autism.
   17  The department shall establish an online continued employment
   18  training component relating to autism spectrum disorder. The
   19  training component must include, but need not be limited to,
   20  instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and
   21  idiosyncrasies of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum
   22  and appropriate responses to a person exhibiting such symptoms
   23  and idiosyncrasies. Completion of the training component may
   24  count toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued
   25  employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer required
   26  under s. 943.135.
   27         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2017.