Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 524
Ì873924:Î873924
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Fiscal Policy (Simon) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Effective upon becoming a law, subsection (4) is
6 added to section 112.195, Florida Statutes, to read:
7 112.195 Florida Medal of Valor and Florida Blue/Red Heart
8 Medal.—
9 (4) The Department of Law Enforcement may adopt rules to
10 implement this section.
11 Section 2. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 406.02,
12 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
13 406.02 Medical Examiners Commission; membership; terms;
14 duties; staff.—
15 (2) The term of office of the physicians appointed to the
16 commission shall be 4 years. The term of office of the state
17 attorney, public defender, sheriff, and county commissioner each
18 shall be 4 years unless she or he leaves that office sooner, in
19 which case her or his appointment will terminate. The term of
20 office of the funeral director shall be 4 years. Upon the
21 expiration of the present terms of office, the Governor shall
22 appoint two members for terms of 4 years, two members for terms
23 of 3 years, two members for terms of 2 years, and one member for
24 a term of 1 year. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for
25 the unexpired portion of the term. An appointment or
26 reappointment is considered in force until the appointee
27 resigns, the appointee is no longer qualified for the position,
28 or the Governor appoints a new member.
29 (4) The Medical Examiners Commission shall:
30 (a) Initiate cooperative policies with any agency of the
31 state or political subdivision thereof.
32 (b) Approve the appointment of district medical examiners
33 by a majority vote to fill vacancies.
34 (c) Remove or suspend district medical examiners pursuant
35 to this act and have the authority to investigate violations of
36 this act.
37 (d)(c) Oversee the distribution of state funds for the
38 medical examiner districts and may make such agreements and
39 contracts, subject to approval of the executive director of the
40 Department of Law Enforcement, as may be necessary to effect the
41 provisions of this chapter.
42 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 406.06, Florida
43 Statutes, is amended to read:
44 406.06 District medical examiners; associates; suspension
45 of medical examiners.—
46 (1)(a) A district medical examiner shall be appointed by
47 The Medical Examiners Commission shall appoint a district
48 medical examiner, who must be a practicing physician in
49 pathology, Governor for each medical examiner district from
50 nominees who are practicing physicians in pathology, whose
51 nominations are submitted to the Governor by the Medical
52 Examiners Commission. The term of office of each district
53 medical examiner shall be 3 years. An appointment to fill a
54 vacancy shall be for the unexpired portion of the term.
55 (b) A physician member of the Medical Examiners Commission
56 is shall be eligible to serve as a district medical examiner
57 upon approval by the Medical Examiners Commission Governor.
58 Section 4. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (3) of
59 section 406.135, Florida Statutes, to read:
60 406.135 Autopsies; confidentiality of photographs and video
61 and audio recordings; confidentiality of reports of minor
62 victims of domestic violence; exemption.—
63 (3)
64 (d) Notwithstanding subsection (2), in order to facilitate
65 an anatomical gift or a transplantation, an eye bank, an organ
66 procurement organization, or a tissue bank as those terms are
67 defined in s. 765.511, pursuant to a written request containing
68 proof of the intent of the deceased, the deceased’s family, or
69 the deceased’s health care surrogate to make an anatomical gift
70 in accordance with chapter 765, may:
71 1. View or copy an autopsy report of a minor whose death
72 was related to an act of domestic violence; and
73 2. View or copy an autopsy report of a person whose manner
74 of death was determined by a medical examiner to have been by
75 suicide.
76 Section 5. Section 943.0417, Florida Statutes, is created
77 to read:
78 943.0417 Statewide law enforcement apprenticeship program.
79 The Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association, Inc., shall continue
80 the statewide law enforcement grant program certified by the
81 Department of Education to recruit, select, train, certify, and
82 retain deputy sheriff candidates who lack the funds to attend a
83 certified law enforcement academy within this state. The grants
84 must be awarded to local law enforcement agencies, with priority
85 given for fiscally constrained counties. The association may
86 coordinate with the department to implement the program.
87 Section 6. Section 943.0536, Florida Statutes, is created
88 to read:
89 943.0536 Immigration detainer information; collection and
90 storage; fingerprinting.—
91 (1) As used in this section, the terms “immigration
92 detainer” and “law enforcement agency” have the same meaning as
93 in s. 908.102.
94 (2) The department’s Criminal Justice Information Program,
95 acting as this state’s central criminal justice information
96 repository, shall collect, process, store, maintain, and
97 disseminate immigration detainer information.
98 (3)(a) Each law enforcement agency shall capture and
99 electronically submit to the department, in the manner
100 prescribed by rule, the fingerprints of a qualifying offender as
101 defined in s. 943.325 who is in its custody and subject to an
102 immigration detainer.
103 (b) Upon receipt of the fingerprints required to be
104 submitted pursuant to paragraph (a), the department must create
105 a record containing the qualifying offender’s immigration
106 detainer information.
107 Section 7. Section 943.0581, Florida Statutes, is amended
108 to read:
109 943.0581 Administrative expunction for arrests or
110 immigration detainer records made contrary to law or by
111 mistake.—
112 (1) Notwithstanding any law dealing generally with the
113 preservation and destruction of public records, the department
114 may adopt a rule pursuant to chapter 120 for the administrative
115 expunction of any nonjudicial record of an arrest or record
116 containing immigration detainer information described in s.
117 943.0536 of a minor or an adult made contrary to law or by
118 mistake.
119 (2) A law enforcement agency shall apply to the department
120 in the manner prescribed by rule for the administrative
121 expunction of any nonjudicial record of any arrest or record
122 containing immigration detainer information described in s.
123 943.0536 of a minor or an adult who is subsequently determined
124 by the agency, at its discretion, or by the final order of a
125 court of competent jurisdiction, to have been arrested or
126 detained contrary to law or by mistake.
127 (3) An adult or, in the case of a minor child, the parent
128 or legal guardian of the minor child, may apply to the
129 department in the manner prescribed by rule for the
130 administrative expunction of any nonjudicial record of an arrest
131 or record containing immigration detainer information described
132 in s. 943.0536 alleged to have been made contrary to law or by
133 mistake, provided that the application is supported by the
134 endorsement of the head of the arresting or detaining agency or
135 his or her designee or the state attorney of the judicial
136 circuit in which the arrest or detainment occurred or his or her
137 designee.
138 (4) An application for administrative expunction shall
139 include the date and time of the arrest, the name of the person
140 arrested, the offender-based tracking system (OBTS) number, and
141 the crime or crimes charged. The application shall be on the
142 submitting agency’s letterhead and shall be signed by the head
143 of the submitting agency or his or her designee.
144 (5) If the person was arrested on a warrant, capias, or
145 pickup order, a request for an administrative expunction may be
146 made by the sheriff of the county in which the warrant, capias,
147 or pickup order was issued or his or her designee or by the
148 state attorney of the judicial circuit in which the warrant,
149 capias, or pickup order was issued or his or her designee.
150 (6) An application for an administrative expunction of a
151 record containing immigration detainer information as described
152 in s. 943.0536 must include the date and time the person was
153 detained, the person’s name, the OBTS number, and information
154 relating to the immigration detainer. The application must be on
155 the submitting agency’s letterhead and must be signed by the
156 head of the submitting agency or his or her designee.
157 (7) An application or endorsement under this section is not
158 admissible as evidence in any judicial or administrative
159 proceeding and may not be construed in any way as an admission
160 of liability in connection with an arrest.
161 Section 8. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
162 943.11, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
163 943.11 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission;
164 membership; meetings; compensation.—
165 (1)(a) There is created a Criminal Justice Standards and
166 Training Commission within the Department of Law Enforcement.
167 The Criminal Justice Professionalism Program shall provide staff
168 support to the commission as authorized in s. 943.09; however,
169 the commission must act independently of any criminal justice
170 agency. The commission shall be composed of 19 members,
171 consisting of the Secretary of Corrections or a designated
172 assistant; the Attorney General or a designee; the Director of
173 the Division of the Florida Highway Patrol; and 16 members
174 appointed by the Governor, consisting of 3 sheriffs; 3 chiefs of
175 police; 5 law enforcement officers who are of the rank of
176 sergeant or below within the employing agency; 2 correctional
177 officers, 1 of whom is an administrator of a state correctional
178 institution and 1 of whom is of the rank of sergeant or below
179 within the employing agency; 1 training center director; 1
180 person who is in charge of a county correctional institution;
181 and 1 resident of the state who falls into none of the foregoing
182 classifications. Prior to the appointment, the sheriff, chief of
183 police, law enforcement officer, and correctional officer
184 members must have had at least 4 years’ experience as law
185 enforcement officers or correctional officers.
186 Section 9. Present subsection (10) of section 943.1395,
187 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (11), and a new
188 subsection (10) is added to that section, to read:
189 943.1395 Certification for employment or appointment;
190 concurrent certification; reemployment or reappointment;
191 inactive status; revocation; suspension; investigation.—
192 (10) Notwithstanding s. 120.60(5), if an administrative
193 complaint is served on a certified law enforcement officer, a
194 correctional officer, a correctional probation officer, or an
195 instructor, commission staff must provide service by certified
196 mail to the licensee’s last known address of record and, if
197 possible, by e-mail. If the person providing service does not
198 provide commission staff with proof of service, commission staff
199 must call the last known telephone number of record and cause a
200 short, plain notice to the licensee to be posted on the front
201 page of the commission’s website.
202 Section 10. Section 943.1726, Florida Statutes, is amended
203 to read:
204 943.1726 Continued employment training relating to diabetic
205 emergencies.—The commission department shall establish an online
206 continued employment training component relating to diabetic
207 emergencies. The training component shall include, but need not
208 be limited to, instruction on the recognition of symptoms of
209 such an emergency, distinguishing such an emergency from alcohol
210 intoxication or drug overdose, and appropriate first aid for
211 such an emergency. Completion of the training component may
212 count toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued
213 employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer required
214 under s. 943.135.
215 Section 11. Section 943.17261, Florida Statutes, is amended
216 to read:
217 943.17261 Department of Law Enforcement; Training related
218 to medical use of marijuana.—The commission Department of Law
219 Enforcement shall develop a 4-hour online initial training
220 course, and a 2-hour online continuing education course, which
221 shall be made available for use by all law enforcement agencies
222 in this state. Such training shall cover the legal parameters of
223 marijuana-related activities governed by ss. 381.986 and 381.988
224 relating to criminal laws governing marijuana.
225 Section 12. Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended
226 to read:
227 943.1727 Continued employment training relating to autism
228 spectrum disorder.—The commission department shall establish a
229 continued employment training component relating to autism
230 spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686. The training
231 component shall include, but need not be limited to, instruction
232 on the recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an
233 individual on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate
234 responses to an individual exhibiting such symptoms and
235 characteristics. Completion of the training component may count
236 toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or
237 appointment as a law enforcement officer required under s.
238 943.135.
239 Section 13. Section 943.17299, Florida Statutes, is amended
240 to read:
241 943.17299 Continued employment training relating to
242 Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.—The
243 commission department shall establish an online, continued
244 employment training component relating to Alzheimer’s disease
245 and related forms of dementia. The training component must be
246 developed in consultation with the Department of Elder Affairs
247 and must include, but need not be limited to, instruction on
248 interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related
249 form of dementia, including instruction on techniques for
250 recognizing behavioral symptoms and characteristics, effective
251 communication, employing the use of alternatives to physical
252 restraints, and identifying signs of abuse, neglect, or
253 exploitation. Completion of the training component may count
254 toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or
255 appointment as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer,
256 or correctional probation officer required under s. 943.135.
257 Section 14. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
258 act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
259 this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
260 2026.
261
262 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
263 And the title is amended as follows:
264 Delete everything before the enacting clause
265 and insert:
266 A bill to be entitled
267 An act relating to the Department of Law Enforcement;
268 amending s. 112.195, F.S.; authorizing the Department
269 of Law Enforcement to adopt rules relating to the
270 Florida Medal of Valor and the Florida Blue/Red Heart
271 Medal; amending s. 406.02, F.S.; specifying the
272 circumstances under which an appointment or
273 reappointment to the Medical Examiners Commission is
274 considered in force; requiring the commission to
275 approve the appointment of district medical examiners
276 by a majority vote to fill vacancies; amending s.
277 406.06, F.S.; requiring the commission, rather than
278 the Governor, to appoint district medical examiners
279 for each medical examiner district; specifying that
280 upon approval by the commission, rather than by the
281 Governor, a physician member of the commission is
282 eligible to serve as a district medical examiner;
283 amending s. 406.135, F.S.; authorizing eye banks,
284 organ procurement organizations, and tissue banks, in
285 order to facilitate anatomical gifts or
286 transplantations, to view or copy specified autopsy
287 reports under certain circumstances; creating s.
288 943.0417, F.S.; requiring the Florida Deputy Sheriffs
289 Association, Inc., to continue the statewide law
290 enforcement grant program certified by the Department
291 of Education for certain purposes; creating s.
292 943.0536, F.S.; defining the terms “immigration
293 detainer” and “law enforcement agency”; requiring the
294 Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Justice
295 Information Program to collect, process, store,
296 maintain, and disseminate immigration detainer
297 information; requiring each law enforcement agency to
298 capture and electronically submit to the department
299 the fingerprints of certain qualifying offenders;
300 requiring the department to create certain records;
301 amending s. 943.0581, F.S.; authorizing the department
302 to adopt rules; requiring law enforcement agencies to
303 apply to the department for the administrative
304 expunction of specified nonjudicial records containing
305 immigration detainer information of minors and adults
306 made contrary to law or by mistake; authorizing
307 individuals to apply to the department for the
308 administrative expunction of such records; specifying
309 application requirements; amending s. 943.11, F.S.;
310 requiring the Criminal Justice Professionalism Program
311 to provide staff support to the Criminal Justice
312 Standards and Training Commission; requiring the
313 commission to act independently of any criminal
314 justice agency; amending s. 943.1395, F.S.; requiring
315 commission staff to provide service by certified mail
316 to a certain licensee’s last known address of record
317 and, if possible, by e-mail; requiring commission
318 staff to take specified action if the person providing
319 service does not provide commission staff with proof
320 of service; amending ss. 943.1726, 943.17261,
321 943.1727, and 943.17299, F.S.; requiring the
322 commission, rather than the Department of Law
323 Enforcement, to establish or develop specified
324 training components or courses; providing effective
325 dates.