Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1364 By Senator Collins 14-00113B-25 20251364__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to autism spectrum disorder training 3 for law enforcement officers; amending s. 943.1727, 4 F.S.; defining the terms agency and autism spectrum 5 disorder; requiring the Criminal Justice Standards 6 and Training Commission, rather than the Department of 7 Law Enforcement, to establish an employment training 8 component relating to individuals with autism spectrum 9 disorder; providing requirements for training law 10 enforcement officers on interacting with individuals 11 with autism spectrum disorder; requiring the 12 commission to adopt specified rules requiring such 13 training as part of basic recruit training and as part 14 of the required instruction for continued employment 15 and appointment as law enforcement officers; providing 16 an effective date. 17 18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19 20 Section 1.Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended 21 to read: 22 943.1727Continued Employment training relating to autism 23 spectrum disorder. 24 (1)As used in this section, the term: 25 (a)Agency means the ability to make independent 26 decisions and act in ones own best interests. 27 (b)Autism spectrum disorder has the same meaning as in 28 s. 627.6686(2). 29 (2)The commission department shall establish an a 30 continued employment training component relating to individuals 31 with autism spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The 32 training component shall include, but need not be limited to, 33 instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and 34 characteristics of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum 35 and appropriate responses to an individual exhibiting such 36 symptoms and characteristics. Completion of the training 37 component must may count toward the 40 hours of instruction for 38 continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer 39 required under s. 943.135. 40 (3)The employment training component for law enforcement 41 officers relating to interaction with individuals with autism 42 spectrum disorder must include in-person instruction for initial 43 certification and online or in-person instruction for continued 44 employment training or education required under s. 943.135(1) in 45 all of the following: 46 (a)The nature and manifestation of autism spectrum 47 disorder. 48 (b)Techniques for interviewing or interrogating an 49 individual with autism spectrum disorder, including techniques 50 to ensure the legality of statements made by the individual and 51 techniques used to protect the rights of the individual. 52 (c)Techniques for locating an individual with autism 53 spectrum disorder who has run away and is in danger and for 54 returning that individual while causing as little stress as 55 possible to the individual. 56 (d)Techniques for recognizing the agency of an individual 57 with autism spectrum disorder while identifying potential 58 abusive or coercive situations. 59 (e)Techniques for deescalating a potentially dangerous 60 situation to maximize the safety of both the officer and the 61 individual with autism spectrum disorder. 62 (f)Techniques for differentiating an individual with 63 autism spectrum disorder from an individual who is belligerent, 64 uncooperative, or otherwise displaying traits similar to the 65 characteristics of an individual with autism spectrum disorder 66 and for understanding the law as it relates to the use of the 67 Baker Act on an individual with autism spectrum disorder. 68 (g)The impact of an interaction with officers on 69 individuals with autism spectrum disorder. 70 (4)All recruits must receive the employment training 71 component relating to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. 72 Such training component may be taught as part of other relevant 73 components of the training. 74 (5)The commission shall by rule require that each law 75 enforcement officer receive instruction in the techniques and 76 procedures described in subsection (3) as part of basic recruit 77 training and as part of the required instruction for continued 78 employment or appointment as such an officer. 79 (a)By July 1, 2027, each basic skills course required for 80 law enforcement officers to obtain initial certification, as 81 required under s. 943.13(9), must incorporate such training. 82 (b)By July 1, 2028, each law enforcement officer must 83 successfully complete such training, as required under s. 84 943.131(4)(a), and as part of continued training or education 85 required under s. 943.135(1). If an officer fails to complete 86 the training required under this subsection, his or her 87 certification must be placed on inactive status until the 88 officers employing agency notifies the commission that he or 89 she has completed the training. 90 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.