Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1586
       
       
        
       By Senator Hooper
       
       
       
       
       
       16-01208-20                                           20201586__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the First Responders Suicide
    3         Deterrence Task Force; amending s. 14.2019, F.S.;
    4         establishing the task force adjunct to the Statewide
    5         Office for Suicide Prevention of the Department of
    6         Children and Families; specifying the task force’s
    7         purpose; providing for the composition and the duties
    8         of the task force; requiring the task force to submit
    9         reports to the Governor and the Legislature on an
   10         annual basis; providing for future repeal; providing
   11         an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 14.2019,
   16  Florida Statutes, to read:
   17         14.2019 Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.—
   18         (5) The First Responders Suicide Deterrence Task Force, a
   19  task force as defined in s. 20.03(8), is created adjunct to the
   20  Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention.
   21         (a) The purpose of the task force is to make
   22  recommendations on how to reduce the incidence of suicide and
   23  attempted suicide among employed or retired first responders in
   24  this state.
   25         (b) The task force is composed of a representative of the
   26  statewide office and a representative of each of the following
   27  first responder organizations, nominated by the organization and
   28  appointed by the Secretary of Children and Families:
   29         1. The Florida Professional Firefighters.
   30         2. The Florida Police Benevolent Association: Florida
   31  Highway Patrol Bargaining Unit.
   32         3. The Florida Police Benevolent Association: Law
   33  Enforcement Bargaining Unit.
   34         4. The Florida Sheriffs Association.
   35         5. The Florida Police Chiefs Association.
   36         (c) The task force shall elect a chair from among its
   37  membership. Except as otherwise provided, the task force shall
   38  operate in a manner consistent with s. 20.052.
   39         (d) The task force shall identify or make recommendations
   40  on developing training programs and materials that would better
   41  enable first responders to cope with personal life stressors and
   42  stress related to their profession and foster an organizational
   43  culture that:
   44         1. Promotes mutual support and solidarity among active and
   45  retired first responders;
   46         2. Trains agency supervisors and managers to identify
   47  suicidal risk among active and retired first responders;
   48         3. Improves the use and awareness of existing resources
   49  among active and retired first responders; and
   50         4. Educates active and retired first responders on suicide
   51  awareness and help-seeking.
   52         (e) The task force shall identify state and federal public
   53  resources, funding and grants, first responder association
   54  resources, and private resources to implement identified
   55  training programs and materials.
   56         (f) The task force shall report on its findings and
   57  recommendations for training programs and materials to deter
   58  suicide among active and retired first responders to the
   59  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   60  House of Representatives by each July 1, beginning in 2021, and
   61  through 2023.
   62         (g) This subsection is repealed July 1, 2023.
   63         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.