Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0711 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	HB 711 2025
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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Spectrum Alert; creating s. 2
16	16	937.0401, F.S.; providing legislative findings; 3
17	17	requiring the Department of Law Enforcement, in 4
18	18	cooperation with the Department of Transportation, the 5
19	19	Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the 6
20	20	Department of the Lottery, and local law enforcement 7
21	21	agencies, to establish and implement the Spectrum 8
22	22	Alert; requiring the department, in cooperation with 9
23	23	specified entities, to develop a training program and 10
24	24	alert system for missing children with autism spectrum 11
25	25	disorder which is compatible with existing alert 12
26	26	systems; specifying requirements for the training 13
27	27	program; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement 14
28	28	to establish specified policies and procedures; 15
29	29	authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing 16
30	30	an effective date. 17
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32	32	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
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34	34	Section 1. Section 937.0401, Florida Statutes, is created 21
35	35	to read: 22
36	36	937.0401 Spectrum Alert. — 23
37	37	(1) The Legislature finds that autism spectrum disorder 24
38	38	(ASD) significantly affects children in this country, creating 25
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40	40	HB 711 2025
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45	45	hb711-00
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47	47	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
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51	51	unique challenges that can lead to critical safety risks, 26
52	52	notably elopement or wandering behaviors in child ren. Children 27
53	53	with ASD are prone to wander from safe environments, at a higher 28
54	54	rate than their non-autistic peers. Elopement frequently results 29
55	55	in severe consequences, including fatal traffic accidents and 30
56	56	drownings. Notably, drowning is the leading cause of death of 31
57	57	children with ASD in this country, with Florida ranking fifth in 32
58	58	the nation. The high propensity for elopement and the 33
59	59	ineffectiveness of traditional search and response methods 34
60	60	necessitates a robust system that will swiftly locate and ensure 35
61	61	the safety of missing children with ASD. The Legislature finds 36
62	62	that a standardized system is necessary to aid in the search for 37
63	63	a missing child with ASD. 38
64	64	(2) The Department of Law Enforcement, in cooperation with 39
65	65	the Department of Transportation, the Depa rtment of Highway 40
66	66	Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of the Lottery, and 41
67	67	local law enforcement agencies, shall establish and implement 42
68	68	the Spectrum Alert to enhance the safety and well -being of 43
69	69	children with ASD through immediate and effective commu nity and 44
70	70	emergency response. 45
71	71	(3) The Department of Law Enforcement, in cooperation with 46
72	72	the Department of Transportation, the Department of Highway 47
73	73	Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of the Lottery, and 48
74	74	local law enforcement agencies, shall: 49
75	75	(a) Develop a training program and alert system for 50
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82	82	hb711-00
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84	84	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
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88	88	missing children with ASD which is compatible with existing 51
89	89	alert systems. The training program must implement crisis 52
90	90	intervention team training to equip law enforcement officers 53
91	91	with the skills to understan d ASD and other mental illnesses, to 54
92	92	de-escalate interactions with children in crisis, to facilitate 55
93	93	appropriate interventions, and to respond effectively to a 56
94	94	reported missing child emergency when the child has ASD. 57
95	95	(b) Establish policies and procedures for responding to a 58
96	96	reported missing child emergency when the child has ASD. The 59
97	97	policies and procedures must, at a minimum, provide for all of 60
98	98	the following: 61
99	99	1. Immediate and widespread dissemination of critical 62
100	100	information when a child with ASD is rep orted missing. 63
101	101	2. Enhancement of emergency response teams' competence by 64
102	102	informing them of the unique behaviors and needs of children 65
103	103	with ASD. 66
104	104	3. Measures to increase public awareness and understanding 67
105	105	of the risks associated with autism -related elopement, to foster 68
106	106	community support for children with ASD. 69
107	107	(c) Require a law enforcement agency, at a minimum, to do 70
108	108	all of the following when receiving such a report: 71
109	109	1. Contact media outlets in the affected area or 72
110	110	surrounding jurisdictions. 73
111	111	2. Inform all on-duty law enforcement officers of the 74
112	112	reported missing child with ASD. 75
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125	125	3. Communicate the report to all other law enforcement 76
126	126	agencies in the counties surrounding the county in which the 77
127	127	report was filed. 78
128	128	(4) The Department of Law Enforcem ent may adopt rules to 79
129	129	implement and administer the this section. 80
130	130	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 81