Florida Senate - 2025 CS for CS for CS for SB 1444
By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; the Appropriations Committee
on Criminal and Civil Justice; the Committee on Criminal
Justice; and Senator Collins
594-03840-25 20251444c3
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public safety; amending s.
3 112.1815, F.S.; authorizing first responder amputees
4 to continue to serve as first responders under certain
5 circumstances; creating s. 112.195, F.S.; creating the
6 Florida Medal of Valor and the Florida Blue/Red Heart
7 Medal; providing requirements for such medals;
8 creating a board to evaluate applications for awarding
9 such medals; providing for board membership; creating
10 s. 316.2675, F.S.; prohibiting the use of motor
11 vehicle kill switches; providing exceptions; providing
12 a criminal penalty; amending s. 500.92, F.S.;
13 providing increased criminal penalties for the
14 selling, delivering, bartering, furnishing, or giving
15 of any kratom product to a person younger than 21
16 years of age; amending s. 775.0823, F.S.; requiring a
17 mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for attempted
18 murder in the first degree committed against specified
19 justice system personnel; amending s. 790.052, F.S.;
20 providing that specified persons may carry concealed
21 firearms under certain circumstances and use them in
22 the same manner as on-duty law enforcement officers;
23 amending s. 817.49, F.S.; providing legislative
24 findings concerning prosecution of the false reporting
25 of crimes; amending s. 843.025, F.S.; prohibiting a
26 person from depriving specified officers of digital
27 recording devices or restraint devices; prohibiting a
28 person from rendering a specified officer’s weapon,
29 radio, digital recording device, or restraint device
30 useless or otherwise preventing the officer from
31 defending himself or herself or summoning assistance;
32 providing a criminal penalty; amending ss. 937.021 and
33 937.022, F.S.; revising requirements for the reporting
34 of missing persons information; creating s. 943.0413,
35 F.S.; creating the Critical Infrastructure Mapping
36 Grant Program within the Department of Law
37 Enforcement; providing eligibility; specifying
38 requirements for maps created by the program;
39 authorizing the department to adopt rules; amending s.
40 951.27, F.S.; specifying requirements for testing
41 inmates for infectious diseases; requiring that test
42 results be reported to specified persons; requiring a
43 first responder and other specified persons to provide
44 notice upon his or her exposure to certain substances;
45 requiring an employing agency to provide notice if a
46 first responder or specified person is unable to
47 provide notice; requiring a detention facility to test
48 an inmate upon receipt of a specified notice;
49 providing an effective date.
50
51 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
52
53 Section 1. Subsection (7) is added to section 112.1815,
54 Florida Statutes, to read:
55 112.1815 Firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical
56 technicians, and law enforcement officers; special provisions
57 for employment-related accidents and injuries.—
58 (7) An individual who is certified as a first responder and
59 has a physical disability resulting from an amputation may
60 continue to serve as a first responder if he or she meets the
61 first responder certification requirements without an
62 accommodation.
63 Section 2. Section 112.195, Florida Statutes, is created to
64 read:
65 112.195 Florida Medal of Valor and Florida Blue/Red Heart
66 Medal.—
67 (1)(a) There is created the Florida Medal of Valor for
68 first responders as defined in s. 112.1815 and related
69 personnel. The medal may be awarded only to a first responder or
70 related personnel who goes above and beyond the call of duty to
71 save the life of an individual.
72 (b) There is created the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal. The
73 medal shall be awarded to a law enforcement officer,
74 firefighter, correctional officer, or correctional probation
75 officer who is injured in the line of duty.
76 (2) The Governor, or his or her designee, may present the
77 awards. The awards shall be issued and administered through the
78 Department of Law Enforcement. A resident of this state or an
79 employing agency in this state must apply for the Florida Medal
80 of Valor or the Florida Blue/Red Heart Medal on behalf of the
81 potential recipient.
82 (3)(a) An application for a medal under this section must
83 be considered and acted upon by a board charged with the duty of
84 evaluating the appropriateness of the application. The board
85 shall be composed of five members as follows:
86 1. Three members appointed by the Governor.
87 2. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
88 Representatives.
89 3. One member appointed by the President of the Senate.
90 (b) Members of the board shall serve 2-year terms. Any
91 vacancy on the board must be filled within 3 months. At least
92 three board members must be active, retired, or former law
93 enforcement officers or firefighters.
94 Section 3. Section 316.2675, Florida Statutes, is created
95 to read:
96 316.2675 Vehicle kill switches; prohibited uses.—
97 (1) A person may not use any device that can be remotely
98 activated to disable a vehicle’s engine or to prevent a
99 vehicle’s engine from starting unless he or she is:
100 (a) The owner of the vehicle;
101 (b) A law enforcement officer acting in the course and
102 scope of his or her duties to prevent the commission of a
103 felony; or
104 (c) Acting for or on behalf of a company that offers a
105 subscription, recurring payment program, or lease in connection
106 with the vehicle.
107 (2) A person who violates subsection (1) commits a
108 misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.
109 775.082 or s. 775.083.
110 (3) This section does not apply to the manufacturer of a
111 vehicle.
112 Section 4. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 500.92,
113 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
114 500.92 Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act.—
115 (3) It is unlawful to sell, deliver, barter, furnish, or
116 give, directly or indirectly, any kratom product to a person
117 younger than who is under 21 years of age.
118 (4) A person who violates violation of subsection (3)
119 commits is a misdemeanor of the first second degree, punishable
120 as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
121 Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 775.0823, Florida
122 Statutes, is amended to read:
123 775.0823 Violent offenses committed against specified
124 justice system personnel.—The Legislature does hereby provide
125 for an increase and certainty of penalty for any person
126 convicted of a violent offense against any law enforcement or
127 correctional officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (3), (6),
128 (7), (8), or (9); against any state attorney elected pursuant to
129 s. 27.01 or assistant state attorney appointed under s. 27.181;
130 against any public defender elected pursuant to s. 27.50 or
131 regional counsel appointed pursuant to s. 27.511(3); against any
132 court-appointed counsel appointed under s. 27.40 or defense
133 attorney in a criminal proceeding; or against any justice or
134 judge of a court described in Art. V of the State Constitution,
135 which offense arises out of or in the scope of the officer’s
136 duty as a law enforcement or correctional officer, the state
137 attorney’s or assistant state attorney’s duty as a prosecutor or
138 investigator, the public defender or regional counsel acting in
139 his or her capacity as defense counsel, the court-appointed
140 counsel or defense attorney in a criminal proceeding acting in
141 his or her capacity as defense counsel, or the justice’s or
142 judge’s duty as a judicial officer, as follows:
143 (2) For attempted murder in the first degree as described
144 in s. 782.04(1), a sentence pursuant to s. 775.082, s. 775.083,
145 or s. 775.084. A person convicted under this subsection must be
146 sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 25
147 years.
148
149 Notwithstanding s. 948.01, with respect to any person who is
150 found to have violated this section, adjudication of guilt or
151 imposition of sentence shall not be suspended, deferred, or
152 withheld.
153 Section 6. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
154 790.052, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
155 790.052 Carrying concealed firearms; off-duty law
156 enforcement officers.—
157 (1)(a) All persons holding active certifications from the
158 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission as law
159 enforcement officers or correctional officers as defined in s.
160 943.10(1), (2), (6), (7), (8), or (9), all judges, and all state
161 attorneys and assistant state attorneys shall have the right to
162 carry, on or about their persons, concealed firearms, during
163 off-duty hours, at the discretion of their superior officers,
164 and may perform those law enforcement functions that they
165 normally perform during duty hours, utilizing their weapons in a
166 manner which is reasonably expected of on-duty officers in
167 similar situations.
168 Section 7. Subsection (4) is added to section 817.49,
169 Florida Statutes, to read:
170 817.49 False reports of commission of crimes; penalty.—
171 (4) The Legislature finds that the false reporting of
172 crimes is a threat to public safety and a threat to the safety
173 of law enforcement officers and other first responders. As such,
174 the Legislature encourages each state attorney to adopt a pro
175 prosecution policy for the false reporting of crimes as
176 prohibited in this section.
177 Section 8. Section 843.025, Florida Statutes, is amended to
178 read:
179 843.025 Depriving officer of means of protection or
180 communication.—
181 (1) It is unlawful for any person to do any of the
182 following to deprive a law enforcement officer as defined in s.
183 943.10(1), a correctional officer as defined in s. 943.10(2), or
184 a correctional probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(3):
185 (a) Deprive the officer of her or his weapon or radio;
186 digital recording device, including a body camera as defined in
187 s. 943.1718(1); or restraint device, including handcuffs, or to
188 otherwise deprive the officer of the means to defend herself or
189 himself or summon assistance.
190 (b) Render useless the officer’s weapon or radio; digital
191 recording device, including a body camera as defined in s.
192 943.1718(1); or restraint device, including handcuffs, or to
193 otherwise prevent the officer from defending herself or himself
194 or summoning assistance.
195 (2) Any person who violates this section commits is guilty
196 of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.
197 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
198 Section 9. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection
199 (4) of section 937.021, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
200 937.021 Missing child and missing adult reports.—
201 (1) Law enforcement agencies in this state shall adopt
202 written policies that specify the procedures to be used to
203 investigate reports of missing children and missing adults. The
204 policies must ensure that cases involving missing children and
205 adults are investigated promptly using appropriate resources.
206 The policies must include:
207 (c) Standards for maintaining and clearing computer data of
208 information concerning a missing child or missing adult which is
209 stored in the Florida Crime Information Center, the National
210 Crime Information Center, and the National Missing and
211 Unidentified Persons System. The standards must require, at a
212 minimum, a monthly review of each case entered into the Florida
213 Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information
214 Center, an annual review of each case entered into the National
215 Missing and Unidentified Persons System, and a determination of
216 whether the case should be maintained in the databases database.
217 (4)(a) Upon the filing of a police report that a child is
218 missing by the parent or guardian, the Department of Children
219 and Families, or a community-based care provider, the law
220 enforcement agency receiving the report shall immediately inform
221 all on-duty law enforcement officers of the missing child
222 report, communicate the report to every other law enforcement
223 agency having jurisdiction in the county, and within 2 hours
224 after receipt of the report, transmit the report for inclusion
225 within the Florida Crime Information Center and, the National
226 Crime Information Center, and the National Missing and
227 Unidentified Persons System databases and shall, within 90 days
228 after receipt of the report, transmit the report to the National
229 Missing and Unidentified Persons System. A law enforcement
230 agency may not require a reporter to present an order that a
231 child be taken into custody or any other such order before
232 accepting a report that a child is missing.
233 (b) Upon the filing of a credible police report that an
234 adult is missing, the law enforcement agency receiving the
235 report shall, within 2 hours after receipt of the report,
236 transmit the report for inclusion within the Florida Crime
237 Information Center and, the National Crime Information Center,
238 and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
239 databases and shall, within 90 days after receipt of the report,
240 transmit the report to the National Missing and Unidentified
241 Persons System.
242 Section 10. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
243 937.022, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
244 937.022 Missing Endangered Persons Information
245 Clearinghouse.—
246 (3) The clearinghouse shall:
247 (b) Provide a centralized file for the exchange of
248 information on missing endangered persons.
249 1. Every state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency
250 shall submit to the clearinghouse information concerning missing
251 endangered persons.
252 2. Any person having knowledge may submit a missing
253 endangered person report to the clearinghouse concerning a child
254 or adult younger than 26 years of age whose whereabouts is
255 unknown, regardless of the circumstances, subsequent to
256 reporting such child or adult missing to the appropriate law
257 enforcement agency within the county in which the child or adult
258 became missing, and subsequent to entry by the law enforcement
259 agency of the child or person into the Florida Crime Information
260 Center and, the National Crime Information Center, and the
261 National Missing and Unidentified Persons System databases. The
262 missing endangered person report shall be included in the
263 clearinghouse database.
264 3. Only the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over
265 the case may submit a missing endangered person report to the
266 clearinghouse involving a missing adult age 26 years or older
267 who is suspected by a law enforcement agency of being endangered
268 or the victim of criminal activity.
269 4. Only the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over
270 the case may make a request to the clearinghouse for the
271 activation of a state Silver Alert or a Purple Alert involving a
272 missing adult if circumstances regarding the disappearance have
273 met the criteria for activation of the Silver Alert Plan or the
274 Purple Alert.
275 Section 11. Section 943.0413, Florida Statutes, is created
276 to read:
277 943.0413 Critical Infrastructure Mapping Grant Program.—
278 (1)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, the Critical
279 Infrastructure Mapping Grant Program is created within the
280 department to support the ongoing assessment of this state’s
281 vulnerability to, and ability to detect, prevent, prepare for,
282 respond to, and recover from, acts of terrorism within or
283 affecting this state.
284 (b) The state, or any law enforcement agency, county,
285 municipality, or other political subdivision of this state, or
286 any agent thereof, which has constitutional or statutory
287 authority to employ or appoint law enforcement officers is
288 eligible to receive funding from the grant program to map
289 critical infrastructure locations that meet the requirements of
290 this section.
291 (2) Grant funds may be used to map critical infrastructure
292 as defined in s. 812.141, public gathering places, places of
293 worship, and any other location for which a map would be deemed
294 of high value for facilitating an emergency response.
295 (3) Each map of such locations must be created in an
296 electronic or digital format and must be provided to all local,
297 state, and federal responding agencies that request such maps
298 for use in responding to emergencies. Each map must satisfy all
299 of the following requirements:
300 (a) Be compatible with and integrate into the department’s
301 statewide database and be compatible with software platforms
302 used by local, state, and federal public safety agencies that
303 provide emergency services to the specific location for which
304 the data is provided without requiring such agencies to purchase
305 additional software or requiring a fee to view or access the
306 data.
307 (b) Be in a printable format and, if requested, be in a
308 digital file format that can be integrated into interactive
309 mobile platforms currently in use.
310 (c) Be verified for accuracy, which must include a walk
311 through of a building or grounds.
312 (d) Be oriented to true north.
313 (e) Be overlaid on current aerial imagery.
314 (f) Contain site-specific labeling that matches the
315 structure of the building, including, but not limited to, room
316 labels, hallway names, and external door or stairwell numbers
317 and locations of hazards, critical utility locations, key boxes,
318 automated external defibrillators, and trauma kits.
319 (g) Contain site-specific labeling that matches the
320 grounds, including, but not limited to, parking areas,
321 surrounding roads, and neighboring properties.
322 (h) Be overlaid with gridded x and y coordinates.
323 (4) The department may adopt rules to administer this
324 section.
325 Section 12. Section 951.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to
326 read:
327 951.27 Blood tests of inmates.—
328 (1) Each county and each municipal detention facility must
329 develop shall have a written procedure regarding the blood
330 testing of inmates developed, in consultation with the facility
331 medical provider. The written procedure must:
332 (a) Include, establishing conditions under which an inmate
333 will be tested for infectious disease, including human
334 immunodeficiency virus pursuant to s. 775.0877, which procedure
335 is consistent with guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control
336 and Prevention and recommendations of the Correctional Medical
337 Authority.
338 (b) Specify the conditions which require the detention
339 facility to test an inmate for infectious diseases immediately
340 following his or her booking into a detention facility,
341 including upon receipt of a notice of exposure under subsection
342 (4).
343 (c) Require the test results to be provided to:
344 1. The sheriff or chief correctional officer of the
345 detention facility.
346 2. Employees or officers of the sheriff or chief
347 correctional officer who are responsible for the care and
348 custody of the affected inmate.
349 3. Any employee or officer of the sheriff or chief
350 correctional officer, or any first responder, as defined in s.
351 112.1815, who provided a notice of exposure to the detention
352 facility as required under subsection (4) It is not unlawful for
353 the person receiving the test results to divulge the test
354 results to the sheriff or chief correctional officer.
355 (2) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection,
356 serologic blood test results obtained pursuant to subsection (1)
357 are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art.
358 I of the State Constitution. However, it is not unlawful for the
359 person receiving the test results to divulge the test results to
360 the sheriff or chief correctional officer. Such test results
361 must also may be provided to employees or officers of the
362 sheriff or chief correctional officer who are responsible for
363 the custody and care of the affected inmate and have a need to
364 know such information, any person who provided a notice of
365 exposure under subsection (4), and as provided in ss. 775.0877
366 and 960.003. In addition, upon request of the victim or the
367 victim’s legal guardian, or the parent or legal guardian of the
368 victim if the victim is a minor, the results of any HIV test
369 performed on an inmate arrested for any sexual offense involving
370 oral, anal, or female genital penetration by, or union with, the
371 sexual organ of another, must be disclosed to the victim or the
372 victim’s legal guardian, or to the parent or legal guardian of
373 the victim if the victim is a minor. In such cases, the county
374 or municipal detention facility shall furnish the test results
375 to the Department of Health, which is responsible for disclosing
376 the results to public health agencies as provided in s. 775.0877
377 and to the victim or the victim’s legal guardian, or the parent
378 or legal guardian of the victim if the victim is a minor, as
379 provided in s. 960.003(3). As used in this subsection, the term
380 “female genitals” includes the labia minora, labia majora,
381 clitoris, vulva, hymen, and vagina.
382 (3) The results of any serologic blood test on an inmate
383 are a part of that inmate’s permanent medical file. Upon
384 transfer of the inmate to any other correctional facility, such
385 file is also transferred, and all relevant authorized persons
386 must be notified of positive HIV test results, as required in s.
387 775.0877.
388 (4)(a) Any first responder, as defined in s. 112.1815, or
389 any employee or officer of the sheriff or chief correctional
390 officer, who, in the performance of his or her official duties,
391 is exposed to a bodily fluid or a potential bloodborne pathogen
392 by a person who has been arrested and subsequently booked into a
393 county or municipal detention facility must provide notice of
394 such exposure to the detention facility as soon as possible
395 after the person is booked, but no later than 24 hours after
396 such exposure. If the first responder, employee, or officer is
397 incapacitated and cannot provide the notice of exposure, his or
398 her employing agency must provide such notice.
399 (b) Upon receipt of a notice of exposure under paragraph
400 (a), the detention facility must immediately test the inmate who
401 was the cause of the exposure unless such a test has already
402 been performed. The test must be conducted in accordance with
403 the detention facility’s written procedures under subsection
404 (1).
405 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.