Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1156
       
       
        
       By Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       8-01454-18                                            20181156__
    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 all centers
    5         for autism and related disabilities at institutions in
    6         the State University System; conforming provisions to
    7         changes made by the act; deleting a reporting
    8         requirement; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 937.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   13  read:
   14         937.041 Missing persons with special needs pilot project
   15  projects.—
   16         (1)(a) There is created a statewide pilot project in
   17  Alachua, Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties, to be
   18  known as “Project Leo,” through the centers for autism and
   19  related disabilities at institutions in the State University
   20  System to provide personal devices to aid search-and-rescue
   21  efforts for persons with special needs in the case of elopement.
   22         (b) There is created an additional pilot project in Palm
   23  Beach County to provide personal devices to aid search-and
   24  rescue efforts for persons with special needs in the case of
   25  elopement.
   26         (c) There is created an additional pilot project in
   27  Hillsborough County to provide personal devices to aid search
   28  and-rescue efforts for persons with special needs in the case of
   29  elopement.
   30         (2)(a)1. Participants for the pilot project specified in
   31  paragraph (1)(a) shall be selected based on criteria developed
   32  by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the
   33  University of Florida.
   34         2. Participants for the pilot project specified in
   35  paragraph (1)(b) shall be selected based on criteria developed
   36  by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida
   37  Atlantic University.
   38         3. Participants for the pilot project specified in
   39  paragraph (1)(c) shall be selected based on criteria developed
   40  by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the
   41  University of South Florida.
   42         (b) Criteria for participation in the pilot project
   43  projects must include, at a minimum, the person’s risk of
   44  elopement. The qualifying participants shall be selected on a
   45  first-come, first-served basis by the respective centers to the
   46  extent of available funding within their existing resources. The
   47  Each project must be voluntary and free of charge to
   48  participants.
   49         (3) Under the each pilot project, personal devices to aid
   50  search-and-rescue efforts which are attachable to clothing or
   51  otherwise worn shall be provided by the respective center to the
   52  sheriff’s offices of the participating counties. The devices
   53  shall be distributed to project participants by the county
   54  sheriff’s offices in conjunction with the respective center. The
   55  respective center shall fund any costs associated with
   56  monitoring the devices.
   57         (4) Each center shall submit a preliminary report by
   58  December 1, 2016, and a final report by December 15, 2017, to
   59  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
   60  the House of Representatives describing the implementation and
   61  operation of its pilot project. At a minimum, each report must
   62  include the criteria used to select participants, the number of
   63  participants, the nature of the participants’ special needs, the
   64  number of participants who elope, the amount of time taken to
   65  rescue such participants following elopement, and the outcome of
   66  any rescue attempts. Each final report shall also provide
   67  recommendations for modification or continued implementation of
   68  the project.
   69         (4)(5) The Each project shall operate to the extent of
   70  available funding within the respective center’s existing
   71  resources.
   72         (5)(6) This section expires June 30, 2019 2018.
   73         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.