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Bill > S0418
FL S0418
FL S0418Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
summary
Introduced
11/06/2025
11/06/2025
In Committee
11/17/2025
11/17/2025
Crossed Over
02/19/2026
02/19/2026
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to law enforcement officer interactions with individuals with autism spectrum disorder; creating s. 320.021, F.S.; requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to establish a program to improve communication between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law enforcement officers under certain circumstances; requiring the department to develop and make available to individuals with autism spectrum disorder a certain envelope by a specified date; providing requirements for the envelope; authorizing persons with autism spectrum disorder to request the envelope from the department or a tax collector’s office, beginning on a specified date; amending s. 943.1727, F.S.; defining the terms “agency” and “autism spectrum disorder”; requiring the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission within the Department of Law Enforcement to establish an employment training component relating to individuals with autism spectrum disorder; requiring that such employment training component be developed jointly by the commission and an organization that meets certain requirements; providing requirements for training law enforcement officers on interacting with individuals with autism spectrum disorder; requiring the commission to adopt certain rules requiring such training as part of basic recruit training and as part of the required instruction for continued employment and appointment as law enforcement officers; providing an effective date.
AI Summary
This bill establishes two key initiatives to improve interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). First, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will create a "blue envelope" program, which allows individuals with ASD to request a special blue envelope by January 1, 2027, that contains their driver's license, vehicle registration, insurance, and emergency contact information. The envelope will be clearly marked to help law enforcement officers recognize that the individual has ASD and include communication guidelines to assist during interactions. Second, the bill requires the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to develop comprehensive training for law enforcement officers about interacting with individuals with ASD. This training must be created in collaboration with an ASD advocacy organization and will cover topics such as understanding ASD characteristics, interview techniques, de-escalation strategies, and recognizing the individual's agency and rights. The training will be mandatory for all law enforcement recruits and must be incorporated into both initial certification and continued employment training by July 2028 and July 2029, respectively. The goal of these provisions is to improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and enhance safety during law enforcement interactions with individuals who have autism spectrum disorder.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
In Messages (on 02/19/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418 |
| Analysis - Fiscal Policy (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/Analyses/2026s00418.fp.PDF |
| Analysis - Fiscal Policy (Pre-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/Analyses/2026s00418.pre.fp.PDF |
| Analysis - Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/Analyses/2026s00418.acj.PDF |
| Analysis - Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice (Pre-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/Analyses/2026s00418.pre.acj.PDF |
| Analysis - Criminal Justice (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/Analyses/2026s00418.cj.PDF |
| Analysis - Criminal Justice (Pre-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/Analyses/2026s00418.pre.cj.PDF |
| BillText | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/418/BillText/Filed/HTML |
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