Florida HB 365: Standards for Correctional Officers

Bill Text

CS/CS/HB 365 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb365-02-c2
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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 law enforcement officer 2
interactions with individuals with autism spectrum 3
disorder; creating s. 320.021, F.S.; requiring the 4
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to 5
establish a program to improve communication between 6
individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law 7
enforcement officers under certain circumstances; 8
requiring the department to develop and make available 9
to individuals with autism spectrum disorder a certain 10
envelope and card by a specified date; providing 11
requirements for the envelope and card; authorizing 12
individuals with autism spectrum disorder to request 13
the envelope and card from the department or a tax 14
collector's office beginning on a specified date; 15
amending s. 943.1727, F.S.; defining the terms 16
"agency" and "autism spectrum disorder"; requiring the 17
Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission 18
within the Department of Law Enforcement to establish 19
an employment training component relating to 20
individuals with autism spectrum disorder; providing 21
requirements for training law enforcement officers on 22
interacting with individuals with autism spectrum 23
disorder; requiring the training component to be 24
included in a specified course by a specified date; 25

CS/CS/HB 365 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb365-02-c2
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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

requiring specified law enforcement officers to 26
complete the training component by a specified date; 27
providing an effective date. 28
29
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30
31
Section 1. Section 320.021, Florida Statutes, is created 32
to read: 33
320.021 Blue envelope and blue card program.— 34
(1) The department shall establish a blue envelope and 35
blue card program for the purpose of improving communication 36
between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law 37
enforcement officers. 38
(2)(a) By January 1, 2027, the department shall develop 39
and make available to individuals with autism spectrum disorder 40
a blue envelope that is intended to hold a copy of an 41
individual's driver license and his or her vehicle registration, 42
proof of insurance, and emergency contact information, and a 43
blue card, which envelope or card may be provided by an 44
individual with autism spectrum disorder to a law enforcement 45
officer during an interaction with the law enforcement officer. 46
(b) The exterior of the blue envelope must identify the 47
individual as an individual with autism spectrum disorder and 48
include communication guidelines intended to assist law 49
enforcement officers during interactions with drivers with 50

CS/CS/HB 365 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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

autism spectrum disorder. 51
(c) The blue card may be digital or a durable, wallet-52
sized card and must identify the individual as an individual 53
with autism spectrum disorder and include communication 54
guidelines intended to assist law enforcement officers during 55
interactions with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. 56
(3) Beginning January 1, 2027, an individual with autism 57
spectrum disorder may request a blue envelope, blue card, or 58
both a blue envelope and blue card from the department or a tax 59
collector's office. 60
Section 2. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended 61
to read: 62
943.1727 Continued Employment training relating to autism 63
spectrum disorder.— 64
(1) As used in this section, the term: 65
(a) "Agency" means the ability to make independent 66
decisions and act in one's own best interests. 67
(b) "Autism spectrum disorder" has the same meaning as in 68
s. 627.6686(2). 69
(2) The commission department shall establish an a 70
continued employment training component relating to individuals 71
with autism spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The 72
training component shall include, but need not be limited to, 73
instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and 74
characteristics of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum 75

CS/CS/HB 365 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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

and appropriate responses to an individual exhibiting such 76
symptoms and characteristics. Completion of the training 77
component counts may count toward the 40 hours of instruction 78
for continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement 79
officer required under s. 943.135. 80
(3) The employment training component for law enforcement 81
officers which relates to interaction with individuals