HB 1273 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 autism spectrum disorder training 2
for law enforcement officers; amending s. 943.1727, 3
F.S.; defining the terms "agency" and "autism spectrum 4
disorder"; requiring the Criminal Justice Standards 5
and Training Commission, rather than the Department of 6
Law Enforcement, to establish an employment training 7
component relating to individuals with autism spectrum 8
disorder; providing requirements for trai ning law 9
enforcement officers on interacting with individuals 10
with autism spectrum disorder; requiring the 11
commission to adopt specified rules requiring such 12
training as part of basic recruit training and as part 13
of the required instruction for continued e mployment 14
and appointment as law enforcement officers; providing 15
an effective date. 16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
19
Section 1. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended 20
to read: 21
943.1727 Continued Employment training relating to autism 22
spectrum disorder.— 23
(1) As used in this section, the term: 24
(a) "Agency" means the ability to make independent 25
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decisions and act in one's own best interests. 26
(b) "Autism spectrum disorder" has the same meaning as in 27
s. 627.6686(2). 28
(2) The commission department shall establish an a 29
continued employment training component relating to individuals 30
with autism spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The 31
training component shall include, but need not be limited to, 32
instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and 33
characteristics of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum 34
and appropriate responses to an individual exhibiting such 35
symptoms and characteristics . Completion of the training 36
component must may count toward the 40 hours of instruction for 37
continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer 38
required under s. 943.135. 39
(3) The employment training component for law enforcement 40
officers relating to interaction with individuals with autism 41
spectrum disorder must include in-person instruction for initial 42
certification and online or in -person instruction for continued 43
employment training or education required under s. 943.135(1) in 44
all of the following: 45
(a) The nature and manifestation of autism spectrum 46
disorder. 47
(b) Techniques for interviewing or interrogating an 48
individual with autism spectrum disorder, including techniques 49
to ensure the legality of statements made by the individual and 50
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techniques used to protect the rights of the individual. 51
(c) Techniques for locating an individual with autism 52
spectrum disorder who has run away and is in danger and for 53
returning that individual while causing as little stress as 54
possible to the individual. 55
(d) Techniques for recognizing the agency of an individual 56
with autism spectrum disorder while identifying potential 57
abusive or coercive situations. 58
(e) Techniques for deescalating a potentially dangerous 59
situation to maximize the safety of both the officer and the 60
individual with autism spectrum disorder. 61
(f) Techniques for differentiating an individual with 62
autism spectrum disorder from an individual who is belligerent, 63
uncooperative, or otherwise displaying traits similar to the 64
characteristics of an individual with autism spectrum disorder 65
and for understanding the law as it relates to the use of the 66
Baker Act on an individual with autism spectrum disorder. 67
(g) The impact of an interaction with officers on 68
individuals with autism spectrum disorder. 69
(4) All recruits must receive the employment training 70
component relating to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. 71
Such training component may be taught as part of other relevant 72
components of the training. 73
(5) The commission shall by rule require that each law 74
enforcement officer receive instruction in the techniques and 75
HB 1273 2025
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procedures described in subsection (3) as part of basic recruit 76
training and as part of the required instruction for continued 77
employment or appointment as such an officer. 78
(a) By July 1, 2027, each basic skills course required for 79
law enforcement officers to obtain initial certification, as 80
required under s. 943.13(9), must incorporate such training. 81
(b) By July 1, 2028, each law enforcement officer must 82
successfully complete such training, as required under s. 83
943.131(4)(a), and as part of continued training or education 84
required under s. 943.135(1). If an officer fails to complete 85
the training required under this subsection, his or her 86
certification must be placed on inactive status until the 87
officer's employing agency notifies the commission that he or 88
she has completed the training. 89
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 90