CS for SB 524 First Engrossed
2026524e1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Department of Law Enforcement;
3 amending s. 112.195, F.S.; authorizing the Department
4 of Law Enforcement to adopt rules relating to the
5 Florida Medal of Valor and the Florida Blue/Red Heart
6 Medal; amending s. 406.02, F.S.; specifying the
7 circumstances under which an appointment or
8 reappointment to the Medical Examiners Commission is
9 considered in force; requiring the commission to
10 approve the appointment of district medical examiners
11 by a majority vote to fill vacancies; amending s.
12 406.06, F.S.; requiring the commission, rather than
13 the Governor, to appoint district medical examiners
14 for each medical examiner district; specifying that
15 upon approval by the commission, rather than by the
16 Governor, a physician member of the commission is
17 eligible to serve as a district medical examiner;
18 amending s. 624.34, F.S.; defining terms; requiring
19 the Department of Law Enforcement to accept and
20 process fingerprints taken of natural persons who are
21 control persons of a licensee or are applicants for
22 licensure; deleting provisions authorizing the
23 department to accept fingerprints of specified persons
24 or entities; requiring that a full set of fingerprints
25 of a certain natural person be submitted to the
26 Department of Financial Services or specified
27 authorized vendors, entities, or agencies; requiring
28 the forwarding of the fingerprints to specified
29 entities; authorizing the Department of Law
30 Enforcement to exchange criminal history records with
31 the Department of Financial Services for a specified
32 purpose; requiring that the full set of fingerprints
33 be submitted in accordance with rules adopted by the
34 Department of Financial Services; providing duties and
35 responsibilities regarding the fingerprints and
36 fingerprinting; requiring the Department of Financial
37 Services to use certain criminal history records for
38 specified purposes; creating s. 624.341, F.S.;
39 defining terms; requiring the Department of Law
40 Enforcement to accept and process fingerprints taken
41 of natural persons who are control persons of a
42 licensee or are applicants for licensure; requiring
43 that a full set of fingerprints of a certain natural
44 person be submitted to the Office of Insurance
45 Regulation of the Financial Services Commission or
46 specified authorized vendors, entities, or agencies;
47 requiring the forwarding of the fingerprints to
48 specified entities; authorizing the department to
49 exchange criminal history records with the office for
50 a specified purpose; requiring that the full set of
51 fingerprints be submitted in accordance with rules
52 adopted by the Financial Services Commission;
53 providing duties and responsibilities regarding the
54 fingerprints and fingerprinting; requiring the office
55 to use certain criminal history records for specified
56 purposes; creating s. 943.0417, F.S.; requiring the
57 Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association, Inc., to continue
58 the statewide law enforcement grant program certified
59 by the Department of Education for certain purposes;
60 creating s. 943.0536, F.S.; defining the terms
61 “immigration detainer” and “law enforcement agency”;
62 requiring the Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal
63 Justice Information Program to collect, process,
64 store, maintain, and disseminate immigration detainer
65 information; requiring each law enforcement agency to
66 capture and electronically submit to the department
67 the fingerprints of certain qualifying offenders;
68 requiring the department to create certain records;
69 amending s. 943.0581, F.S.; authorizing the department
70 to adopt rules; requiring law enforcement agencies to
71 apply to the department for the administrative
72 expunction of specified nonjudicial records containing
73 immigration detainer information of minors and adults
74 made contrary to law or by mistake; authorizing
75 individuals to apply to the department for the
76 administrative expunction of such records; specifying
77 application requirements; amending s. 943.11, F.S.;
78 requiring the Criminal Justice Professionalism Program
79 to provide staff support to the Criminal Justice
80 Standards and Training Commission; requiring the
81 commission to act independently of any criminal
82 justice agency; amending s. 943.1395, F.S.; requiring
83 commission staff to provide service by certified mail
84 to certain certified officer’s or instructor’s last
85 known address of record and, if possible, by e-mail;
86 requiring commission staff to take specified action if
87 the person providing service does not provide
88 commission staff with proof of service; amending ss.
89 943.1726, 943.17261, 943.1727, and 943.17299, F.S.;
90 requiring the commission, rather than the Department
91 of Law Enforcement, to establish or develop specified
92 training components or courses; providing effective
93 dates.
94
95 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
96
97 Section 1. Effective upon becoming a law, subsection (4) is
98 added to section 112.195, Florida Statutes, to read:
99 112.195 Florida Medal of Valor and Florida Blue/Red Heart
100 Medal.—
101 (4) The Department of Law Enforcement may adopt rules to
102 implement this section.
103 Section 2. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 406.02,
104 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
105 406.02 Medical Examiners Commission; membership; terms;
106 duties; staff.—
107 (2) The term of office of the physicians appointed to the
108 commission shall be 4 years. The term of office of the state
109 attorney, public defender, sheriff, and county commissioner each
110 shall be 4 years unless she or he leaves that office sooner, in
111 which case her or his appointment will terminate. The term of
112 office of the funeral director shall be 4 years. Upon the
113 expiration of the present terms of office, the Governor shall
114 appoint two members for terms of 4 years, two members for terms
115 of 3 years, two members for terms of 2 years, and one member for
116 a term of 1 year. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for
117 the unexpired portion of the term. An appointment or
118 reappointment is considered in force until the appointee
119 resigns, the appointee is no longer qualified for the position,
120 or the Governor appoints a new member.
121 (4) The Medical Examiners Commission shall:
122 (a) Initiate cooperative policies with any agency of the
123 state or political subdivision thereof.
124 (b) Approve the appointment of district medical examiners
125 by a majority vote to fill vacancies.
126 (c) Remove or suspend district medical examiners pursuant
127 to this act and have the authority to investigate violations of
128 this act.
129 (d)(c) Oversee the distribution of state funds for the
130 medical examiner districts and may make such agreements and
131 contracts, subject to approval of the executive director of the
132 Department of Law Enforcement, as may be necessary to effect the
133 provisions of this chapter.
134 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 406.06, Florida
135 Statutes, is amended to read:
136 406.06 District medical examiners; associates; suspension
137 of medical examiners.—
138 (1)(a) A district medical examiner shall be appointed by
139 The Medical Examiners Commission shall appoint a district
140 medical examiner, who must be a practicing physician in
141 pathology, Governor for each medical examiner district from
142 nominees who are practicing physicians in pathology, whose
143 nominations are submitted to the Governor by the Medical
144 Examiners Commission. The term of office of each district
145 medical examiner shall be 3 years. An appointment to fill a
146 vacancy shall be for the unexpired portion of the term.
147 (b) A physician member of the Medical Examiners Commission
148 is shall be eligible to serve as a district medical examiner
149 upon approval by the Medical Examiners Commission Governor.
150 Section 4. Effective upon becoming a law, section 624.34,
151 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
152 624.34 Authority of Department of Law Enforcement to accept
153 fingerprints of, and exchange criminal history records with
154 respect to, certain persons.—
155 (1) As used in this section, the term:
156 (a) “Adjuster” means a public adjuster as defined in s.
157 626.854 or an all-lines adjuster as defined in s. 626.8548.
158 (b) “Agent” means a general lines agent as defined in s.
159 626.015, a life agent as defined in s. 626.015, a health agent
160 as defined in s. 626.015, a surplus lines agent as defined in s.
161 626.914, a professional bail bond agent as defined in s. 648.25,
162 a limited surety agent as defined in s. 648.25, a limited lines
163 agent, a legal expense insurance sales representative who must
164 meet the requirements of s. 642.034, or a title insurance agent
165 as defined in s. 626.841. The term includes a producer but does
166 not include a customer representative, limited customer
167 representative, or service representative.
168 (c) “Applicant for licensure” means a person who has
169 applied to the department for a license.
170 (d) “Control person,” with respect to a licensee or an
171 applicant for licensure, means any of the following:
172 1. A person who holds the title of owner, partner,
173 director, president, senior vice president, treasurer, or
174 limited liability company member.
175 2. A person who holds any of the officer, general partner,
176 manager, or managing member positions named in the governing
177 documents. As used in this subparagraph, the term “governing
178 documents” includes bylaws, articles of incorporation or
179 organization, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements,
180 and management or operating agreements.
181 3. A director on the board of directors.
182 4. A shareholder in whose name shares are registered in the
183 records of a corporation for profit, whether incorporated under
184 the laws of this state or organized under the laws of any other
185 jurisdiction and existing in that legal form, who directly or
186 indirectly has the power to vote 10 percent or more of a class
187 of voting securities, or to sell or direct the sale of 10
188 percent or more of a class of voting securities. As used in this
189 subparagraph, the term “shareholder” means a person who owns at
190 least one share of a corporation and whose ownership is
191 reflected in the records of the corporation.
192 (e) “License” means a license issued by the Department of
193 Financial Services to an agent, an insurance agency as defined
194 in s. 626.015, a title insurance agency as defined in s.
195 626.841, an adjuster, an adjusting firm as defined in s.
196 626.8695, a customer representative as defined in s. 626.015, a
197 service representative as defined in s. 626.015, or a navigator
198 as defined in s. 626.9951.
199 (f) “Licensee” means a person who has a license.
200 (g) “Limited lines agent” means an agent whose license is
201 issued pursuant to s. 626.321.
202 (h) “Person” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01.
203 (i) “Producer” means a person required to be licensed under
204 the laws of this state to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance.
205 (2) The Department of Law Enforcement shall may accept and
206 process fingerprints taken of an individual who is a licensee,
207 an applicant for licensure, or a control person of a licensee or
208 an applicant for licensure organizers, incorporators,
209 subscribers, officers, stockholders, directors, or any other
210 persons involved, directly or indirectly, in the organization,
211 operation, or management of:
212 (a) Any insurer or proposed insurer transacting or
213 proposing to transact insurance in this state.
214 (b) Any other entity which is examined or investigated or
215 which is eligible to be examined or investigated under the
216 provisions of the Florida Insurance Code.
217 (2) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept
218 fingerprints of individuals who apply for a license as an agent,
219 customer representative, adjuster, service representative, or
220 navigator or the fingerprints of the majority owner, sole
221 proprietor, partners, officers, and directors of a corporation
222 or other legal entity that applies for licensure with the
223 department or office under the Florida Insurance Code.
224 (3) A full set of fingerprints of an individual described
225 in subsection (2) must be submitted to the Department of
226 Financial Services or to a vendor, an entity, or an agency
227 authorized under s. 943.053(13). The Department of Financial
228 Services, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the
229 fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
230 processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
231 the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
232 national processing pursuant to s. 624.34(5). Fees for state and
233 federal fingerprint processing must be borne by the person
234 submitting them. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as
235 provided in s. 943.053(3)(e).
236 (4)(3) The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent
237 authorized provided for by federal law, exchange state, national
238 multistate, and federal criminal history records with the
239 Department of Financial Services department or office for the
240 purpose of the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a
241 certificate of authority, certification, or license to operate
242 in this state.
243 (5) The full set of fingerprints for each individual
244 described in subsection (2) must be submitted in accordance with
245 rules adopted by the Department of Financial Services.
246 (a) Fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party
247 vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement.
248 (b) The Department of Law Enforcement shall conduct a state
249 criminal history background check, and a federal criminal
250 history background check must be conducted through the Federal
251 Bureau of Investigation.
252 (c) The Department of Financial Services shall review the
253 results of the state and federal criminal history background
254 checks and determine whether the applicant for licensure or
255 licensee meets the requirements for a license to operate in this
256 state.
257 (4) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept
258 fingerprints of any other person required by statute or rule to
259 submit fingerprints to the department or office or any applicant
260 or licensee regulated by the department or office who is
261 required to demonstrate that he or she has not been convicted of
262 or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a misdemeanor.
263 (5) The Department of Law Enforcement shall, upon receipt
264 of fingerprints from the department or office, submit the
265 fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to check
266 federal criminal history records.
267 (6) The Department of Financial Services shall use the
268 statewide criminal records obtained through the Department of
269 Law Enforcement, the federal criminal records obtained through
270 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the local criminal
271 records obtained through local law enforcement agencies shall be
272 used by the department and office for the purpose of issuance,
273 denial, suspension, or revocation of certificates of authority,
274 certifications, or licenses issued to operate in this state.
275 Section 5. Effective upon becoming a law, section 624.341,
276 Florida Statutes, is created to read:
277 624.341 Authority of Department of Law Enforcement to
278 accept fingerprints of, and exchange criminal history records
279 with respect to, certain persons applying to the Office of
280 Insurance Regulation.—
281 (1) As used in this section, the term:
282 (a) “Applicant for licensure” means a person who has
283 applied to the office for a license.
284 (b) “Control person,” with respect to a licensee or an
285 applicant for licensure, means key managerial personnel with
286 authority over the financial and operational decisions of the
287 entities licensed, certified, registered, or holding a
288 certificate of authority under the Florida Insurance Code, and
289 includes any of the following as required by the office:
290 1. Incorporators, stockholders, officers, directors, and
291 attorneys in fact captured under s. 624.404(3)(c), s.
292 628.071(1)(c), s. 629.091(2), s. 632.638(3), or s. 641.22(6)(c).
293 2. Trustees, officers, directors, and individuals
294 responsible for the management of and conduct of the management
295 of a multiple-employer welfare arrangement under s. 624.439(2).
296 3. Individuals employed or retained by an administrator who
297 are responsible for the conduct of the affairs of an
298 administrator, including all members of the board of directors,
299 board of trustees, executive committee, or other governing board
300 or committee, and the principal officers in the case of a
301 corporation or the partners or members in the case of a
302 partnership or an association of an administrator under s.
303 626.8805.
304 4. Individuals responsible for the affairs of a viatical
305 settlement provider, members of the board of directors, board of
306 trustees, executive committee, or other governing board or
307 committee, and any person or entity owning or having the right
308 to acquire 10 percent or more of the voting securities of a
309 viatical settlement provider under s. 626.9912.
310 5. Management of a premium finance company under ss.
311 627.829(1) and 627.832(1)(g) and (j).
312 6. Directors, officers, trustees, and other individuals
313 performing duties similar to those of a director, an officer or
314 a trustee of a corporation, an association, or a trust under s.
315 628.461(3)(a).
316 7. Directors, officers, and trustees if a corporation, and
317 partners, owners, managers, joint venturers, and others
318 performing functions similar to those of a director, an officer,
319 or a trustee, if not a corporation, of a specialty insurer under
320 s. 628.4615(5)(a)7.
321 8. Managers of a motor vehicle service agreement company
322 under s. 634.041(2), a home warranty association under s.
323 634.304(2), or a service warranty association under s.
324 634.404(2).
325 9. Members of the board of directors, board of trustees,
326 executive committee, or other governing board or committee, the
327 officers, contracted management company personnel, and any
328 person or entity owning or having the right to acquire 10
329 percent or more of the voting securities of a prepaid limit
330 health service organization under s. 636.008 or a discount plan
331 organization under s. 636.204(2)(c).
332 10. Persons responsible for the conduct of the affairs of a
333 prepaid health clinic under s. 641.405(2)(c), including all
334 members of the governing body, the officers and directors in the
335 case of a corporation, and the partners or associates in the
336 case of a partnership or an association.
337 11. Individuals who are directors and officers, and each
338 shareholder who owns or controls 10 percent or more of the
339 shares of the corporation, of a legal expense insurance business
340 under ss. 642.021 and 642.032.
341 12. Members, shareholders, and persons in charge of
342 providing care under a certificate of authority subject to s.
343 651.022(2)(c).
344 (c) “License” means a certificate of authority,
345 certification, registration, or license issued by the office.
346 (d) “Licensee” means a person who has a license.
347 (e) “Person” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01.
348 (2) The Department of Law Enforcement shall accept and
349 process fingerprints taken of an individual who is a licensee,
350 an applicant for licensure, or a control person of a licensee or
351 an applicant for licensure.
352 (3) A full set of fingerprints of an individual described
353 in subsection (2) must be submitted to the office or to a
354 vendor, an entity, or an agency authorized under s. 943.053(13).
355 The office, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the
356 fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
357 processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
358 the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
359 national processing pursuant to s. 624.34(5). Fees for state and
360 federal fingerprint processing must be borne by the person
361 submitting them. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as
362 provided in s. 943.053(3)(e).
363 (4) The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent
364 authorized by federal law, exchange state, national, and federal
365 criminal history records with the office for the purpose of the
366 issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a certificate of
367 authority, certification, registration, or license to operate in
368 this state.
369 (5) The full set of fingerprints for each individual
370 described in subsection (2) must be submitted in accordance with
371 rules adopted by the commission.
372 (a) Fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party
373 vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement.
374 (b) The Department of Law Enforcement shall conduct a state
375 criminal history background check, and a federal criminal
376 history background check shall be conducted through the Federal
377 Bureau of Investigation.
378 (c) The office shall review the results of the state and
379 federal criminal history background checks and determine whether
380 the applicant for licensure or licensee meets the requirements
381 for a license to operate in this state.
382 (6) The office shall use the statewide criminal records
383 obtained through the Department of Law Enforcement, the federal
384 criminal records obtained through the Federal Bureau of
385 Investigation, and the local criminal records obtained through
386 local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of issuance,
387 denial, suspension, or revocation of certificates of authority,
388 certifications, registrations, or licenses required to operate
389 in this state.
390 Section 6. Section 943.0417, Florida Statutes, is created
391 to read:
392 943.0417 Statewide law enforcement apprenticeship program.
393 The Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association, Inc., shall continue
394 the statewide law enforcement grant program certified by the
395 Department of Education to recruit, select, train, certify, and
396 retain deputy sheriff candidates who lack the funds to attend a
397 certified law enforcement academy within this state. The grants
398 must be awarded to local law enforcement agencies, with priority
399 given for fiscally constrained counties. The association may
400 coordinate with the department to implement the program.
401 Section 7. Section 943.0536, Florida Statutes, is created
402 to read:
403 943.0536 Immigration detainer information; collection and
404 storage; fingerprinting.—
405 (1) As used in this section, the terms “immigration
406 detainer” and “law enforcement agency” have the same meaning as
407 in s. 908.102.
408 (2) The department’s Criminal Justice Information Program,
409 acting as this state’s central criminal justice information
410 repository, shall collect, process, store, maintain, and
411 disseminate immigration detainer information.
412 (3)(a) Each law enforcement agency shall capture and
413 electronically submit to the department, in the manner
414 prescribed by rule, the fingerprints of a qualifying offender as
415 defined in s. 943.325 who is in its custody and subject to an
416 immigration detainer.
417 (b) Upon receipt of the fingerprints required to be
418 submitted pursuant to paragraph (a), the department shall create
419 a record containing the qualifying offender’s immigration
420 detainer information.
421 Section 8. Section 943.0581, Florida Statutes, is amended
422 to read:
423 943.0581 Administrative expunction for arrests or
424 immigration detainer records made contrary to law or by
425 mistake.—
426 (1) Notwithstanding any law dealing generally with the
427 preservation and destruction of public records, the department
428 may adopt a rule pursuant to chapter 120 for the administrative
429 expunction of any nonjudicial record of an arrest or record
430 containing immigration detainer information described in s.
431 943.0536 of a minor or an adult made contrary to law or by
432 mistake.
433 (2) A law enforcement agency shall apply to the department
434 in the manner prescribed by rule for the administrative
435 expunction of any nonjudicial record of any arrest or record
436 containing immigration detainer information described in s.
437 943.0536 of a minor or an adult who is subsequently determined
438 by the agency, at its discretion, or by the final order of a
439 court of competent jurisdiction, to have been arrested or
440 detained contrary to law or by mistake.
441 (3) An adult or, in the case of a minor child, the parent
442 or legal guardian of the minor child, may apply to the
443 department in the manner prescribed by rule for the
444 administrative expunction of any nonjudicial record of an arrest
445 or record containing immigration detainer information described
446 in s. 943.0536 alleged to have been made contrary to law or by
447 mistake, provided that the application is supported by the
448 endorsement of the head of the arresting or detaining agency or
449 his or her designee or the state attorney of the judicial
450 circuit in which the arrest or detainment occurred or his or her
451 designee.
452 (4) An application for administrative expunction shall
453 include the date and time of the arrest, the name of the person
454 arrested, the offender-based tracking system (OBTS) number, and
455 the crime or crimes charged. The application shall be on the
456 submitting agency’s letterhead and shall be signed by the head
457 of the submitting agency or his or her designee.
458 (5) If the person was arrested on a warrant, capias, or
459 pickup order, a request for an administrative expunction may be
460 made by the sheriff of the county in which the warrant, capias,
461 or pickup order was issued or his or her designee or by the
462 state attorney of the judicial circuit in which the warrant,
463 capias, or pickup order was issued or his or her designee.
464 (6) An application for an administrative expunction of a
465 record containing immigration detainer information as described
466 in s. 943.0536 must include the date and time the person was
467 detained, the person’s name, the OBTS number, and information
468 relating to the immigration detainer. The application must be on
469 the submitting agency’s letterhead and must be signed by the
470 head of the submitting agency or his or her designee.
471 (7) An application or endorsement under this section is not
472 admissible as evidence in any judicial or administrative
473 proceeding and may not be construed in any way as an admission
474 of liability in connection with an arrest or detention.
475 Section 9. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
476 943.11, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
477 943.11 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission;
478 membership; meetings; compensation.—
479 (1)(a) There is created a Criminal Justice Standards and
480 Training Commission within the Department of Law Enforcement.
481 The Criminal Justice Professionalism Program shall provide staff
482 support to the commission as authorized in s. 943.09; however,
483 the commission must act independently of any criminal justice
484 agency. The commission shall be composed of 19 members,
485 consisting of the Secretary of Corrections or a designated
486 assistant; the Attorney General or a designee; the Director of
487 the Division of the Florida Highway Patrol; and 16 members
488 appointed by the Governor, consisting of 3 sheriffs; 3 chiefs of
489 police; 5 law enforcement officers who are of the rank of
490 sergeant or below within the employing agency; 2 correctional
491 officers, 1 of whom is an administrator of a state correctional
492 institution and 1 of whom is of the rank of sergeant or below
493 within the employing agency; 1 training center director; 1
494 person who is in charge of a county correctional institution;
495 and 1 resident of the state who falls into none of the foregoing
496 classifications. Prior to the appointment, the sheriff, chief of
497 police, law enforcement officer, and correctional officer
498 members must have had at least 4 years’ experience as law
499 enforcement officers or correctional officers.
500 Section 10. Present subsection (10) of section 943.1395,
501 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (11), and a new
502 subsection (10) is added to that section, to read:
503 943.1395 Certification for employment or appointment;
504 concurrent certification; reemployment or reappointment;
505 inactive status; revocation; suspension; investigation.—
506 (10) Notwithstanding s. 120.60(5), when an administrative
507 complaint is served on a certified law enforcement officer, a
508 correctional officer, a correctional probation officer, or an
509 instructor, commission staff shall provide service by certified
510 mail to the certified officer’s or instructor’s last known
511 address of record and, if possible, by e-mail. If the person
512 providing service does not provide commission staff with proof
513 of service, commission staff must call the last known telephone
514 number of record and cause a short, plain notice to the
515 certified officer or instructor to be posted on the front page
516 of the commission’s website.
517 Section 11. Section 943.1726, Florida Statutes, is amended
518 to read:
519 943.1726 Continued employment training relating to diabetic
520 emergencies.—The commission department shall establish an online
521 continued employment training component relating to diabetic
522 emergencies. The training component shall include, but need not
523 be limited to, instruction on the recognition of symptoms of
524 such an emergency, distinguishing such an emergency from alcohol
525 intoxication or drug overdose, and appropriate first aid for
526 such an emergency. Completion of the training component may
527 count toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued
528 employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer required
529 under s. 943.135.
530 Section 12. Section 943.17261, Florida Statutes, is amended
531 to read:
532 943.17261 Department of Law Enforcement; Training related
533 to medical use of marijuana.—The commission Department of Law
534 Enforcement shall develop a 4-hour online initial training
535 course, and a 2-hour online continuing education course, which
536 shall be made available for use by all law enforcement agencies
537 in this state. Such training shall cover the legal parameters of
538 marijuana-related activities governed by ss. 381.986 and 381.988
539 relating to criminal laws governing marijuana.
540 Section 13. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended
541 to read:
542 943.1727 Continued employment training relating to autism
543 spectrum disorder.—The commission department shall establish a
544 continued employment training component relating to autism
545 spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The training
546 component shall include, but need not be limited to, instruction
547 on the recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an
548 individual on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate
549 responses to an individual exhibiting such symptoms and
550 characteristics. Completion of the training component may count
551 toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or
552 appointment as a law enforcement officer required under s.
553 943.135.
554 Section 14. Section 943.17299, Florida Statutes, is amended
555 to read:
556 943.17299 Continued employment training relating to
557 Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.—The
558 commission department shall establish an online, continued
559 employment training component relating to Alzheimer’s disease
560 and related forms of dementia. The training component must be
561 developed in consultation with the Department of Elder Affairs
562 and must include, but need not be limited to, instruction on
563 interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related
564 form of dementia, including instruction on techniques for
565 recognizing behavioral symptoms and characteristics, effective
566 communication, employing the use of alternatives to physical
567 restraints, and identifying signs of abuse, neglect, or
568 exploitation. Completion of the training component may count
569 toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or
570 appointment as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer,
571 or correctional probation officer required under s. 943.135.
572 Section 15. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
573 act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
574 this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
575 2026.