Florida Senate - 2021                             CS for SB 1818
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Burgess
       
       
       
       
       
       591-02930-21                                          20211818c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to law enforcement officer training;
    3         creating s. 943.1719, F.S.; defining terms;
    4         authorizing the Criminal Justice Standards and
    5         Training Commission to incorporate instruction on use
    6         of force, deescalation techniques, and suicide
    7         awareness and prevention techniques into the course
    8         curriculum required for law enforcement officers
    9         obtaining initial certification; providing training
   10         authorizations; creating s. 943.17191, F.S.;
   11         authorizing the commission to adopt rules authorizing
   12         each officer to receive instruction on use of force,
   13         deescalation techniques, and suicide awareness and
   14         prevention techniques as part of required instruction
   15         for continued employment or appointment as an officer;
   16         providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 943.1719, Florida Statutes, is created
   21  to read:
   22         943.1719 Basic skills training relating to use of force,
   23  deescalation techniques, and suicide awareness and prevention
   24  techniques.—
   25         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   26         (a) “Deescalation techniques” includes, but is not limited
   27  to:
   28         1. The use of alternative, nonlethal methods of applying
   29  force and techniques that prevent the officer from escalating
   30  any situation where force is likely to be used;
   31         2. The use of verbal and physical tactics to minimize the
   32  need for the use of force, with an emphasis on communication,
   33  negotiation, and deescalation tactics, and to provide the time
   34  needed to resolve the incident safely for everyone;
   35         3. The use of the lowest level of force that is a possible
   36  and safe response to an identified threat and reevaluating the
   37  threat as it progresses;
   38         4. The use of techniques that provide all officers with
   39  awareness and recognition of mental health and substance abuse
   40  issues with an emphasis on communication strategies, and
   41  training officers simultaneously in teams on deescalation and
   42  use of force to improve group dynamics and diminish excessive
   43  use of force during critical incidents;
   44         5. Principles of using distance, cover, and time when
   45  approaching and managing critical incidents; and
   46         6. Crisis intervention strategies to appropriately identify
   47  and respond to individuals suffering from mental health or
   48  substance abuse issues, with an emphasis on deescalation tactics
   49  and promoting effective communication.
   50         (b) ”Suicide awareness and prevention techniques” includes,
   51  but is not limited to, methods and tools for recognizing signs
   52  that an individual is in crisis and promoting awareness of, and
   53  training in recognizing, symptoms of post-traumatic stress
   54  disorder.
   55         (2) The commission may incorporate instruction on use of
   56  force, deescalation techniques, and suicide awareness and
   57  prevention techniques into the course curriculum required for a
   58  law enforcement officer to obtain initial certification. Use of
   59  force training may include, but need not be limited to,
   60  instruction on legal use of force, including deadly force.
   61         Section 2. Section 943.17191, Florida Statutes, is created
   62  to read:
   63         943.17191 Continued employment training on use of force,
   64  deescalation techniques, and suicide awareness and prevention
   65  techniques.—The commission may by rule authorize that each
   66  officer receive, as part of the 40 hours of required instruction
   67  for continued employment or appointment as an officer,
   68  instruction on use of force, deescalation techniques, and
   69  suicide awareness and prevention techniques as those terms are
   70  described or defined in s. 943.1719.
   71         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.