Florida Senate - 2021              PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
       Bill No. CS for SB 1530
       
       
       
       
       
                               Ì549558ZÎ549558                          
       
       576-03958-21                                                    
       Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
       (Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice)
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to victims of sexual offenses;
    3         creating s. 154.012, F.S.; requiring counties to
    4         establish sexual assault response teams; providing for
    5         duties, membership, and technical assistance;
    6         requiring teams to promote the use of sexual assault
    7         forensic examiners meeting certain requirements;
    8         amending s. 943.17, F.S.; requiring the Criminal
    9         Justice Standards and Training Commission, in
   10         consultation with the Florida Council Against Sexual
   11         Violence, to establish minimum standards for basic and
   12         advanced career development training programs for law
   13         enforcement officers that include a culturally
   14         responsive trauma-informed response to sexual assault;
   15         requiring every basic skills course for law
   16         enforcement officers to include certain training by a
   17         specified date; creating s. 943.1724, F.S.; requiring
   18         the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission
   19         to incorporate a culturally responsive trauma-informed
   20         response to sexual assault into a certain course
   21         curriculum; requiring each certified law enforcement
   22         officer to successfully complete a specified number of
   23         hours of training on sexual violence and interviewing
   24         of sexual assault victims and investigations of
   25         alleged sexual assault within a specified timeframe;
   26         providing requirements for current law enforcement
   27         officers; providing an effective date.
   28          
   29  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   30  
   31         Section 1. Section 154.012, Florida Statutes, is created to
   32  read:
   33         154.012 Sexual assault response teams; membership; duties.—
   34         (1)The health department in every county in this state, or
   35  its designee, shall participate in the local sexual assault
   36  response team coordinated by the certified rape crisis center
   37  serving the county if such a team exists. If a local sexual
   38  assault response team does not exist, the certified rape crisis
   39  center serving the county may coordinate with community partners
   40  to establish a local or a regional team. The purpose of the
   41  sexual assault response team is to ensure a coordinated
   42  multidisciplinary response to sexual violence.
   43         (2)Each team shall develop a written protocol to govern
   44  the team’s response to sexual assault which includes:
   45         (a)The role and responsibilities of each team member.
   46         (b)Procedural issues regarding the immediate crisis and
   47  health care and law enforcement responses and followup services
   48  provided to a victim.
   49         (c)Procedures for the preservation, secure storage, and
   50  destruction of evidence from a sexual assault evidence kit,
   51  including length of storage, site of storage, and chain of
   52  custody.
   53         (d)Procedures for maintaining the confidentiality of the
   54  victim regarding the forensic medical examination.
   55         (3)Membership of each team shall be determined by the
   56  certified rape crisis center in collaboration with community
   57  partners. At a minimum, membership should include the following
   58  persons or their designees:
   59         (a)The director of the local certified rape crisis center;
   60         (b)A representative from the county health department;
   61         (c) The state attorney;
   62         (d)The chief of police;
   63         (e)The county sheriff;
   64         (f)Forensic sexual assault nurse examiners; and
   65         (g)A representative from local hospital emergency
   66  departments.
   67         (4)The Florida Council Against Sexual Violence shall
   68  provide technical assistance relating to the development and
   69  implementation of the teams.
   70         (5)Each team shall promote and support the use of
   71  qualified sexual assault forensic examiners who have
   72  successfully completed a minimum of 40 hours of specialized
   73  training in the provision of trauma-informed medical care and in
   74  the collection of evidence for sexual assault victims.
   75         Section 2. Subsection (7) is added to section 943.17,
   76  Florida Statutes, to read:
   77         943.17 Basic recruit, advanced, and career development
   78  training programs; participation; cost; evaluation.—The
   79  commission shall, by rule, design, implement, maintain,
   80  evaluate, and revise entry requirements and job-related
   81  curricula and performance standards for basic recruit, advanced,
   82  and career development training programs and courses. The rules
   83  shall include, but are not limited to, a methodology to assess
   84  relevance of the subject matter to the job, student performance,
   85  and instructor competency.
   86         (7)The commission, in consultation with the Florida
   87  Council Against Sexual Violence, shall establish minimum
   88  standards for basic and advanced career development training
   89  programs for law enforcement officers that include a culturally
   90  responsive trauma-informed response to sexual assault. After
   91  July 1, 2022, every basic skills course required for law
   92  enforcement officers to obtain initial and continuing education
   93  certification must include training on culturally responsive
   94  trauma-informed interviewing of sexual assault victims and
   95  investigations of alleged sexual assaults.
   96         Section 3. Section 943.1724, Florida Statutes, is created
   97  to read:
   98         943.1724Training on sexual assault.—
   99         (1)The commission shall incorporate a culturally
  100  responsive trauma-informed response to sexual assault into the
  101  course curriculum required for a law enforcement officer to
  102  obtain initial certification.
  103         (2)Each law enforcement officer must successfully complete
  104  training on sexual violence and interviewing and investigations
  105  of sexual assault victims, with an emphasis on culturally
  106  responsive trauma-informed interviewing of sexual assault
  107  victims and alleged sexual assault investigations as a part of
  108  the basic recruit training, as required under s. 943.13(9),
  109  training required under s. 943.131(4)(a), or as a part of
  110  continuing training or education required under s. 943.135(1),
  111  before July 1, 2024. If an officer fails to complete the
  112  required training, his or her certification must be placed on
  113  inactive status until the employing agency notifies the
  114  commission that the officer has completed the training.
  115         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.