Florida Senate - 2021 PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Bill No. CS for SB 1530
Ì549558ZÎ549558
576-03958-21
Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
(Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice)
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to victims of sexual offenses;
3 creating s. 154.012, F.S.; requiring counties to
4 establish sexual assault response teams; providing for
5 duties, membership, and technical assistance;
6 requiring teams to promote the use of sexual assault
7 forensic examiners meeting certain requirements;
8 amending s. 943.17, F.S.; requiring the Criminal
9 Justice Standards and Training Commission, in
10 consultation with the Florida Council Against Sexual
11 Violence, to establish minimum standards for basic and
12 advanced career development training programs for law
13 enforcement officers that include a culturally
14 responsive trauma-informed response to sexual assault;
15 requiring every basic skills course for law
16 enforcement officers to include certain training by a
17 specified date; creating s. 943.1724, F.S.; requiring
18 the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission
19 to incorporate a culturally responsive trauma-informed
20 response to sexual assault into a certain course
21 curriculum; requiring each certified law enforcement
22 officer to successfully complete a specified number of
23 hours of training on sexual violence and interviewing
24 of sexual assault victims and investigations of
25 alleged sexual assault within a specified timeframe;
26 providing requirements for current law enforcement
27 officers; providing an effective date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31 Section 1. Section 154.012, Florida Statutes, is created to
32 read:
33 154.012 Sexual assault response teams; membership; duties.—
34 (1) The health department in every county in this state, or
35 its designee, shall participate in the local sexual assault
36 response team coordinated by the certified rape crisis center
37 serving the county if such a team exists. If a local sexual
38 assault response team does not exist, the certified rape crisis
39 center serving the county may coordinate with community partners
40 to establish a local or a regional team. The purpose of the
41 sexual assault response team is to ensure a coordinated
42 multidisciplinary response to sexual violence.
43 (2) Each team shall develop a written protocol to govern
44 the team’s response to sexual assault which includes:
45 (a) The role and responsibilities of each team member.
46 (b) Procedural issues regarding the immediate crisis and
47 health care and law enforcement responses and followup services
48 provided to a victim.
49 (c) Procedures for the preservation, secure storage, and
50 destruction of evidence from a sexual assault evidence kit,
51 including length of storage, site of storage, and chain of
52 custody.
53 (d) Procedures for maintaining the confidentiality of the
54 victim regarding the forensic medical examination.
55 (3) Membership of each team shall be determined by the
56 certified rape crisis center in collaboration with community
57 partners. At a minimum, membership should include the following
58 persons or their designees:
59 (a) The director of the local certified rape crisis center;
60 (b) A representative from the county health department;
61 (c) The state attorney;
62 (d) The chief of police;
63 (e) The county sheriff;
64 (f) Forensic sexual assault nurse examiners; and
65 (g) A representative from local hospital emergency
66 departments.
67 (4) The Florida Council Against Sexual Violence shall
68 provide technical assistance relating to the development and
69 implementation of the teams.
70 (5) Each team shall promote and support the use of
71 qualified sexual assault forensic examiners who have
72 successfully completed a minimum of 40 hours of specialized
73 training in the provision of trauma-informed medical care and in
74 the collection of evidence for sexual assault victims.
75 Section 2. Subsection (7) is added to section 943.17,
76 Florida Statutes, to read:
77 943.17 Basic recruit, advanced, and career development
78 training programs; participation; cost; evaluation.—The
79 commission shall, by rule, design, implement, maintain,
80 evaluate, and revise entry requirements and job-related
81 curricula and performance standards for basic recruit, advanced,
82 and career development training programs and courses. The rules
83 shall include, but are not limited to, a methodology to assess
84 relevance of the subject matter to the job, student performance,
85 and instructor competency.
86 (7) The commission, in consultation with the Florida
87 Council Against Sexual Violence, shall establish minimum
88 standards for basic and advanced career development training
89 programs for law enforcement officers that include a culturally
90 responsive trauma-informed response to sexual assault. After
91 July 1, 2022, every basic skills course required for law
92 enforcement officers to obtain initial and continuing education
93 certification must include training on culturally responsive
94 trauma-informed interviewing of sexual assault victims and
95 investigations of alleged sexual assaults.
96 Section 3. Section 943.1724, Florida Statutes, is created
97 to read:
98 943.1724 Training on sexual assault.—
99 (1) The commission shall incorporate a culturally
100 responsive trauma-informed response to sexual assault into the
101 course curriculum required for a law enforcement officer to
102 obtain initial certification.
103 (2) Each law enforcement officer must successfully complete
104 training on sexual violence and interviewing and investigations
105 of sexual assault victims, with an emphasis on culturally
106 responsive trauma-informed interviewing of sexual assault
107 victims and alleged sexual assault investigations as a part of
108 the basic recruit training, as required under s. 943.13(9),
109 training required under s. 943.131(4)(a), or as a part of
110 continuing training or education required under s. 943.135(1),
111 before July 1, 2024. If an officer fails to complete the
112 required training, his or her certification must be placed on
113 inactive status until the employing agency notifies the
114 commission that the officer has completed the training.
115 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.