Florida Senate - 2018 PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Bill No. SB 1156
Ì522090xÎ522090
576-03020-18
Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
(Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education)
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to missing persons with special needs;
3 amending s. 937.041, F.S.; expanding pilot projects
4 for missing persons with special needs to the regional
5 autism centers; requiring each center that opts to
6 join the pilot project to distribute personal devices
7 under certain circumstances; revising the requirements
8 for personal devices used in the pilot project;
9 conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
10 deleting a reporting requirement; providing an
11 effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Section 937.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to
16 read:
17 937.041 Missing persons with special needs pilot project
18 projects.—
19 (1)(a) There is created a statewide pilot project in
20 Alachua, Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties, to be
21 known as “Project Leo,” through regional autism centers
22 established under s. 1004.55. Each center that opts to join the
23 pilot project shall distribute to provide personal devices to
24 aid search-and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs in
25 the case of elopement.
26 (b) There is created an additional pilot project in Palm
27 Beach County to provide personal devices to aid search-and
28 rescue efforts for persons with special needs in the case of
29 elopement.
30 (c) There is created an additional pilot project in
31 Hillsborough County to provide personal devices to aid search
32 and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs in the case of
33 elopement.
34 (2)(a)1. Participants for the pilot project specified in
35 paragraph (1)(a) shall be selected based on criteria developed
36 by each participating center based on the specific needs of that
37 center’s service area counties prescribed under s. 1004.55 the
38 Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University of
39 Florida.
40 2. Participants for the pilot project specified in
41 paragraph (1)(b) shall be selected based on criteria developed
42 by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida
43 Atlantic University.
44 3. Participants for the pilot project specified in
45 paragraph (1)(c) shall be selected based on criteria developed
46 by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the
47 University of South Florida.
48 (b) Criteria for participation in the pilot project
49 projects must include, at a minimum, the person’s risk of
50 elopement. The qualifying participants shall be selected on a
51 first-come, first-served basis by the respective centers to the
52 extent of available funding within their existing resources. The
53 Each project must be voluntary and free of charge to
54 participants.
55 (3) Under the each pilot project, personal devices to aid
56 search-and-rescue efforts which are attachable to clothing or
57 otherwise worn shall be provided by the respective center to the
58 sheriff’s offices of the participating counties. The devices
59 shall be distributed to project participants by the county
60 sheriff’s offices in conjunction with the respective center. The
61 respective center shall fund any costs associated with
62 monitoring the devices.
63 (4) Each center shall submit a preliminary report by
64 December 1, 2016, and a final report by December 15, 2017, to
65 the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
66 the House of Representatives describing the implementation and
67 operation of its pilot project. At a minimum, each report must
68 include the criteria used to select participants, the number of
69 participants, the nature of the participants’ special needs, the
70 number of participants who elope, the amount of time taken to
71 rescue such participants following elopement, and the outcome of
72 any rescue attempts. Each final report shall also provide
73 recommendations for modification or continued implementation of
74 the project.
75 (4)(5) The Each project shall operate to the extent of
76 available funding within the respective center’s existing
77 resources.
78 (5)(6) This section expires June 30, 2019 2018.
79 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.