HB 711 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Spectrum Alert; creating s. 2
937.0401, F.S.; providing legislative findings; 3
requiring the Department of Law Enforcement, in 4
cooperation with the Department of Transportation, the 5
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the 6
Department of the Lottery, and local law enforcement 7
agencies, to establish and implement the Spectrum 8
Alert; requiring the department, in cooperation with 9
specified entities, to develop a training program and 10
alert system for missing children with autism spectrum 11
disorder which is compatible with existing alert 12
systems; specifying requirements for the training 13
program; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement 14
to establish specified policies and procedures; 15
authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing 16
an effective date. 17
18
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
20
Section 1. Section 937.0401, Florida Statutes, is created 21
to read: 22
937.0401 Spectrum Alert. — 23
(1) The Legislature finds that autism spectrum disorder 24
(ASD) significantly affects children in this country, creating 25
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unique challenges that can lead to critical safety risks, 26
notably elopement or wandering behaviors in child ren. Children 27
with ASD are prone to wander from safe environments, at a higher 28
rate than their non-autistic peers. Elopement frequently results 29
in severe consequences, including fatal traffic accidents and 30
drownings. Notably, drowning is the leading cause of death of 31
children with ASD in this country, with Florida ranking fifth in 32
the nation. The high propensity for elopement and the 33
ineffectiveness of traditional search and response methods 34
necessitates a robust system that will swiftly locate and ensure 35
the safety of missing children with ASD. The Legislature finds 36
that a standardized system is necessary to aid in the search for 37
a missing child with ASD. 38
(2) The Department of Law Enforcement, in cooperation with 39
the Department of Transportation, the Depa rtment of Highway 40
Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of the Lottery, and 41
local law enforcement agencies, shall establish and implement 42
the Spectrum Alert to enhance the safety and well -being of 43
children with ASD through immediate and effective commu nity and 44
emergency response. 45
(3) The Department of Law Enforcement, in cooperation with 46
the Department of Transportation, the Department of Highway 47
Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of the Lottery, and 48
local law enforcement agencies, shall: 49
(a) Develop a training program and alert system for 50
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missing children with ASD which is compatible with existing 51
alert systems. The training program must implement crisis 52
intervention team training to equip law enforcement officers 53
with the skills to understan d ASD and other mental illnesses, to 54
de-escalate interactions with children in crisis, to facilitate 55
appropriate interventions, and to respond effectively to a 56
reported missing child emergency when the child has ASD. 57
(b) Establish policies and procedures for responding to a 58
reported missing child emergency when the child has ASD. The 59
policies and procedures must, at a minimum, provide for all of 60
the following: 61
1. Immediate and widespread dissemination of critical 62
information when a child with ASD is rep orted missing. 63
2. Enhancement of emergency response teams' competence by 64
informing them of the unique behaviors and needs of children 65
with ASD. 66
3. Measures to increase public awareness and understanding 67
of the risks associated with autism -related elopement, to foster 68
community support for children with ASD. 69
(c) Require a law enforcement agency, at a minimum, to do 70
all of the following when receiving such a report: 71
1. Contact media outlets in the affected area or 72
surrounding jurisdictions. 73
2. Inform all on-duty law enforcement officers of the 74
reported missing child with ASD. 75
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3. Communicate the report to all other law enforcement 76
agencies in the counties surrounding the county in which the 77
report was filed. 78
(4) The Department of Law Enforcem ent may adopt rules to 79
implement and administer the this section. 80
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 81