Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1167 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
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3	3	HB 1167 2025
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7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
8	8	hb1167-00
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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 mental health services for first 2
16	16	responders; creating s. 394.4675, F.S.; providing 3
17	17	definitions; requiring the Division of State Fire 4
18	18	Marshal to develop and implement a statewide 5
19	19	behavioral health access program to provide certain 6
20	20	mental wellness services and resources to first 7
21	21	responders; providing requirements for the program; 8
22	22	providing that first responders are not required to 9
23	23	pay a copayment for the services and resources; 10
24	24	providing training requirements for licensed 11
25	25	professional counselors; requiring the program, by a 12
26	26	specified date, to develop a specified plan and submit 13
27	27	the plan to the Legislature; providing an effective 14
28	28	date. 15
29	29	16
30	30	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
31	31	18
32	32	Section 1. Section 394.4675, Florida Statutes, is created 19
33	33	to read: 20
34	34	394.4675 Mental health services for first responders. — 21
35	35	(1) As used in this section, the term: 22
36	36	(a) "First responder" has the sam e meaning as in s. 23
37	37	112.1815(1) and includes 911 public safety telecommunicators as 24
38	38	defined in s. 401.465(1)(a), correctional officers as defined in 25
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40	40	HB 1167 2025
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42	42
43	43
44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
45	45	hb1167-00
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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	s. 943.10(2), and correctional probation officers as defined in 26
52	52	s. 943.10(3). 27
53	53	(b) "Licensed professional c ounselor" means a clinical 28
54	54	psychologist, clinical social worker, marriage and family 29
55	55	therapist, or mental health counselor authorized to provide 30
56	56	services under s. 491.017 or a psychologist authorized to 31
57	57	provide services under chapter 490. 32
58	58	(2)(a) By engaging key stakeholders and partnerships with 33
59	59	established nonprofit or state university first responder mental 34
60	60	wellness initiatives, the Division of State Fire Marshal shall 35
61	61	develop and implement a statewide behavioral health access 36
62	62	program to provide compreh ensive mental wellness services and 37
63	63	resources with a focus on prevention and early intervention to 38
64	64	reduce the prevalence of suicide and related mental health and 39
65	65	substance abuse disorders for first responders. The program 40
66	66	shall include all of the following : 41
67	67	1. Training on resiliency, mental health awareness, and 42
68	68	posttraumatic growth. 43
69	69	2. Developing and training of peer support teams. 44
70	70	3. Assisting first responder departments in building 45
71	71	behavioral health access programs including internal mental 46
72	72	wellness programs. 47
73	73	4. Establishing suicide prevention and mental health 48
74	74	communication campaigns. 49
75	75	5. Integrating with partners for state disaster 50
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77	77	HB 1167 2025
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80	80
81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb1167-00
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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	deployments under an emergency response plan. 51
89	89	6. Conducting statewide epidemiologic research on 52
90	90	incidence and prevalence of suicide and mental health -related 53
91	91	issues in this state. 54
92	92	(b) First responders are not required to pay a copayment 55
93	93	for the services and resources. 56
94	94	(3) The program shall provide a statewide network of 57
95	95	licensed professional counselors who meet additional training 58
96	96	requirements and who are available to provide services to first 59
97	97	responders, families of first responders, and retired first 60
98	98	responders at routine, urgent, and crisis levels of care. The 61
99	99	additional training must include training in traum a management 62
100	100	and evidence-based suicide prevention modalities with first 63
101	101	responders. 64
102	102	(4) By June 30, 2026, the program shall develop a research 65
103	103	and evaluation plan to measure the effectiveness and return on 66
104	104	investment of the program and submit the plan t o the Speaker of 67
105	105	the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. 68
106	106	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 69