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