Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1364
       
       
        
       By Senator Collins
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00113B-25                                          20251364__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to autism spectrum disorder training
    3         for law enforcement officers; amending s. 943.1727,
    4         F.S.; defining the terms “agency” and “autism spectrum
    5         disorder”; requiring the Criminal Justice Standards
    6         and Training Commission, rather than the Department of
    7         Law Enforcement, to establish an employment training
    8         component relating to individuals with autism spectrum
    9         disorder; providing requirements for training law
   10         enforcement officers on interacting with individuals
   11         with autism spectrum disorder; requiring the
   12         commission to adopt specified rules requiring such
   13         training as part of basic recruit training and as part
   14         of the required instruction for continued employment
   15         and appointment as law enforcement officers; providing
   16         an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended
   21  to read:
   22         943.1727 Continued Employment training relating to autism
   23  spectrum disorder.—
   24         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   25         (a) “Agency” means the ability to make independent
   26  decisions and act in one’s own best interests.
   27         (b) “Autism spectrum disorder” has the same meaning as in
   28  s. 627.6686(2).
   29         (2) The commission department shall establish an a
   30  continued employment training component relating to individuals
   31  with autism spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The
   32  training component shall include, but need not be limited to,
   33  instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and
   34  characteristics of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum
   35  and appropriate responses to an individual exhibiting such
   36  symptoms and characteristics. Completion of the training
   37  component must may count toward the 40 hours of instruction for
   38  continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer
   39  required under s. 943.135.
   40         (3) The employment training component for law enforcement
   41  officers relating to interaction with individuals with autism
   42  spectrum disorder must include in-person instruction for initial
   43  certification and online or in-person instruction for continued
   44  employment training or education required under s. 943.135(1) in
   45  all of the following:
   46         (a) The nature and manifestation of autism spectrum
   47  disorder.
   48         (b) Techniques for interviewing or interrogating an
   49  individual with autism spectrum disorder, including techniques
   50  to ensure the legality of statements made by the individual and
   51  techniques used to protect the rights of the individual.
   52         (c) Techniques for locating an individual with autism
   53  spectrum disorder who has run away and is in danger and for
   54  returning that individual while causing as little stress as
   55  possible to the individual.
   56         (d) Techniques for recognizing the agency of an individual
   57  with autism spectrum disorder while identifying potential
   58  abusive or coercive situations.
   59         (e) Techniques for deescalating a potentially dangerous
   60  situation to maximize the safety of both the officer and the
   61  individual with autism spectrum disorder.
   62         (f) Techniques for differentiating an individual with
   63  autism spectrum disorder from an individual who is belligerent,
   64  uncooperative, or otherwise displaying traits similar to the
   65  characteristics of an individual with autism spectrum disorder
   66  and for understanding the law as it relates to the use of the
   67  Baker Act on an individual with autism spectrum disorder.
   68         (g) The impact of an interaction with officers on
   69  individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
   70         (4) All recruits must receive the employment training
   71  component relating to individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
   72  Such training component may be taught as part of other relevant
   73  components of the training.
   74         (5) The commission shall by rule require that each law
   75  enforcement officer receive instruction in the techniques and
   76  procedures described in subsection (3) as part of basic recruit
   77  training and as part of the required instruction for continued
   78  employment or appointment as such an officer.
   79         (a) By July 1, 2027, each basic skills course required for
   80  law enforcement officers to obtain initial certification, as
   81  required under s. 943.13(9), must incorporate such training.
   82         (b) By July 1, 2028, each law enforcement officer must
   83  successfully complete such training, as required under s.
   84  943.131(4)(a), and as part of continued training or education
   85  required under s. 943.135(1). If an officer fails to complete
   86  the training required under this subsection, his or her
   87  certification must be placed on inactive status until the
   88  officer’s employing agency notifies the commission that he or
   89  she has completed the training.
   90         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.