Florida Senate - 2026 SB 54
By Senator Sharief
35-00071-26 202654__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the use of substances affecting
3 cognitive function; creating s. 406.139, F.S.;
4 defining the terms “mass shooting” and “psychotropic
5 drug”; requiring medical examiners to take specified
6 actions when performing an autopsy on a decedent
7 reasonably suspected of committing a mass shooting;
8 requiring that autopsy reports for such individuals
9 include certain findings and information; providing
10 construction; creating s. 901.225, F.S.; defining the
11 terms “mass shooting” and “psychotropic drug”;
12 requiring arresting law enforcement agencies to
13 perform toxicology screenings of persons arrested on
14 suspicion of committing a mass shooting or other
15 violent crime; requiring that the results of the
16 screening be noted in the suspect’s case file;
17 requiring law enforcement agencies to provide their
18 law enforcement officers with certain training on the
19 adverse effects of psychotropic drugs, illicit drugs,
20 and controlled substances; amending s. 1006.07, F.S.;
21 requiring school safety specialists to provide
22 teachers with certain training on the adverse effects
23 of psychotropic drugs, illicit drugs, and controlled
24 substances; specifying requirements for the training;
25 amending s. 1006.12, F.S.; requiring safe-school
26 officers to complete certain training on the adverse
27 effects of psychotropic drugs, illicit drugs, and
28 controlled substances; specifying requirements for the
29 training; providing an effective date.
30
31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
32
33 Section 1. Section 406.139, Florida Statutes, is created to
34 read:
35 406.139 Autopsies of suspected mass shooters.—
36 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
37 (a) “Mass shooting” means an incident in which a person is
38 suspected of intentionally causing the death of four or more
39 individuals, not including the suspect, through the use of a
40 firearm at a single location during a continuous period of time.
41 (b) “Psychotropic drug” means any drug prescribed to affect
42 an individual’s mental state, including, but not limited to,
43 antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and
44 antianxiety medications.
45 (2) CONSULTATION; TOXICOLOGY SCREENING.—If a medical
46 examiner’s office performs an autopsy on a decedent reasonably
47 suspected of committing a mass shooting, the medical examiner
48 must do all of the following:
49 (a)1. Make reasonable efforts to determine the identity of
50 any treating mental health professional or primary care
51 physician of the decedent; and
52 2. Consult such individuals, if known and available, to
53 obtain information regarding the decedent’s history of
54 psychotropic drug use, including any prescribed or discontinued
55 medications.
56 (b) Order and perform toxicology screening on the decedent
57 to determine whether any of the following are present in the
58 decedent’s body:
59 1. Psychotropic drugs.
60 2. Illicit drugs and controlled substances.
61 3. Alcohol or other substances commonly affecting cognitive
62 function.
63 (3) AUTOPSY REPORT.—All findings under subsection (2) must
64 be documented and included in the final autopsy report, along
65 with any available corroborating information.
66 (4) PUBLIC RECORDS.—This section does not exempt any part
67 of the autopsy report from public disclosure except as otherwise
68 provided by state or federal law.
69 Section 2. Section 901.225, Florida Statutes, is created to
70 read:
71 901.225 Toxicology screening of person arrested for mass
72 shooting or other violent crime.—
73 (1) As used in this section, the term:
74 (a) “Mass shooting” means an incident in which a person is
75 suspected of intentionally causing the death of four or more
76 individuals, not including the suspect, through the use of a
77 firearm at a single location during a continuous period of time.
78 (b) “Psychotropic drug” means any drug prescribed to affect
79 an individual’s mental state, including, but not limited to,
80 antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and
81 antianxiety medications.
82 (2) If a person is arrested on suspicion of committing a
83 mass shooting or other violent crime, the arresting law
84 enforcement agency must perform a toxicology screening of the
85 suspect for the presence of any psychotropic drugs, illicit
86 drugs, controlled substances, alcohol, or other substances
87 commonly affecting cognitive function. The law enforcement
88 agency shall note the results of the toxicology screening in the
89 suspect’s case file.
90 (3) All law enforcement agencies shall provide their law
91 enforcement officers with training on the adverse effects of
92 psychotropic drugs, illicit drugs, and controlled substances,
93 including irrational, violent, or suicidal behavior that may be
94 demonstrated by persons under the influence of such drugs or
95 substances. The training must include instruction on how law
96 enforcement officers can identify and safely interact with
97 persons who may be under the influence of such drugs or
98 substances to avoid violent escalation or exchanges.
99 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section
100 1006.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
101 1006.07 District school board duties relating to student
102 discipline and school safety.—The district school board shall
103 provide for the proper accounting for all students, for the
104 attendance and control of students at school, and for proper
105 attention to health, safety, and other matters relating to the
106 welfare of students, including:
107 (6) SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES.—Each district
108 school superintendent shall establish policies and procedures
109 for the prevention of violence on school grounds, including the
110 assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior
111 poses a threat to the safety of the school community.
112 (a) School safety specialist.—Each district school
113 superintendent shall designate a school safety specialist for
114 the district. The school safety specialist must be a school
115 administrator employed by the school district or a law
116 enforcement officer employed by the sheriff’s office located in
117 the school district. Any school safety specialist designated
118 from the sheriff’s office must first be authorized and approved
119 by the sheriff employing the law enforcement officer. Any school
120 safety specialist designated from the sheriff’s office remains
121 the employee of the office for purposes of compensation,
122 insurance, workers’ compensation, and other benefits authorized
123 by law for a law enforcement officer employed by the sheriff’s
124 office. The sheriff and the school superintendent may determine
125 by agreement the reimbursement for such costs, or may share the
126 costs, associated with employment of the law enforcement officer
127 as a school safety specialist. The school safety specialist must
128 earn a certificate of completion of the school safety specialist
129 training provided by the Office of Safe Schools within 1 year
130 after appointment and is responsible for the supervision and
131 oversight for all school safety and security personnel,
132 policies, and procedures in the school district. The school
133 safety specialist, or his or her designee, shall:
134 1. In conjunction with the district school superintendent,
135 annually review school district policies and procedures for
136 compliance with state law and rules, including the district’s
137 timely and accurate submission of school environmental safety
138 incident reports to the department pursuant to s. 1001.212(8).
139 At least quarterly, the school safety specialist must report to
140 the district school superintendent and the district school board
141 any noncompliance by the school district with laws or rules
142 regarding school safety.
143 2. Provide the necessary training and resources to students
144 and school district staff in matters relating to youth mental
145 health awareness and assistance; emergency procedures, including
146 active shooter training; and school safety and security.
147 3. Provide teachers with training on the adverse effects of
148 psychotropic drugs as defined in s. 901.225, illicit drugs, and
149 controlled substances, including the irrational, violent, or
150 suicidal behavior that may be demonstrated by students under the
151 influence of such drugs or substances. The training must include
152 instruction on how teachers can identify and safely interact
153 with students who may be under the influence of such drugs or
154 substances, including de-escalation techniques to ensure student
155 and teacher safety.
156 4. Serve as the school district liaison with local public
157 safety agencies and national, state, and community agencies and
158 organizations in matters of school safety and security.
159 5.4. In collaboration with the appropriate public safety
160 agencies, as that term is defined in s. 365.171, by October 1 of
161 each year, conduct a school security risk assessment at each
162 public school using the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool
163 developed by the Office of Safe Schools pursuant to s.
164 1006.1493. Based on the assessment findings, the district’s
165 school safety specialist shall provide recommendations to the
166 district school superintendent and the district school board
167 which identify strategies and activities that the district
168 school board should implement in order to address the findings
169 and improve school safety and security. Each district school
170 board must receive such findings and the school safety
171 specialist’s recommendations at a publicly noticed district
172 school board meeting to provide the public an opportunity to
173 hear the district school board members discuss and take action
174 on the findings and recommendations. Each school safety
175 specialist, through the district school superintendent, shall
176 report such findings and school board action to the Office of
177 Safe Schools within 30 days after the district school board
178 meeting.
179 6.5. Conduct annual unannounced inspections, using the form
180 adopted by the Office of Safe Schools pursuant to s.
181 1001.212(13), of all public schools, including charter schools,
182 while school is in session and investigate reports of
183 noncompliance with school safety requirements.
184 7.6. Report violations of paragraph (f) by administrative
185 personnel and instructional personnel to the district school
186 superintendent or charter school administrator, as applicable.
187 Section 4. Subsection (6) of section 1006.12, Florida
188 Statutes, is amended to read:
189 1006.12 Safe-school officers at each public school.—For the
190 protection and safety of school personnel, property, students,
191 and visitors, each district school board and school district
192 superintendent shall partner with law enforcement agencies or
193 security agencies to establish or assign one or more safe-school
194 officers at each school facility within the district, including
195 charter schools. A district school board must collaborate with
196 charter school governing boards to facilitate charter school
197 access to all safe-school officer options available under this
198 section. The school district may implement any combination of
199 the options in subsections (1)-(4) to best meet the needs of the
200 school district and charter schools.
201 (6) CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING; SUBSTANCE USE TRAINING.—
202 (a) Each safe-school officer who is also a sworn law
203 enforcement officer shall complete mental health crisis
204 intervention training using a curriculum developed by a national
205 organization with expertise in mental health crisis
206 intervention. The training must improve the officer’s knowledge
207 and skills as a first responder to incidents involving students
208 with emotional disturbance or mental illness, including de
209 escalation skills to ensure student and officer safety.
210 (b) Each safe-school officer shall complete training on the
211 adverse effects of psychotropic drugs as defined in s. 901.225,
212 illicit drugs, and controlled substances, including the
213 irrational, violent, or suicidal behavior that may be
214 demonstrated by students under the influence of such drugs or
215 substances. The training must include instruction on how a safe
216 school officer can identify and safely interact with students
217 who may be under the influence of such drugs or substances and
218 improve upon the officer’s knowledge and skills as a first
219 responder to incidents involving such students, including de
220 escalation skills to ensure student and officer safety.
221
222 If a district school board, through its adopted policies,
223 procedures, or actions, denies a charter school access to any
224 safe-school officer options pursuant to this section, the school
225 district must assign a school resource officer or school safety
226 officer to the charter school. Under such circumstances, the
227 charter school’s share of the costs of the school resource
228 officer or school safety officer may not exceed the safe school
229 allocation funds provided to the charter school pursuant to s.
230 1011.62(12) and shall be retained by the school district.
231 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.