Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida S418: Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Status: Chaptered, June 17, 2026
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 and card by a specified date; 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, etc.
What the bill says
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 and card by a specified date; providing requirements for the envelope and card…
From the enrolled text, March 11, 2026:
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 and card by a specified date; providing requirements for the envelope and card; authorizing individuals with autism spectrum disorder to request the envelope and card from the department or a tax collectorâs office beginning on a specified date; amending s. 943.1727, F.S.; defining the terms âagencyâ and âautism spectrum disorderâ; 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; providing requirements for training law enforcement officers on interacting with individuals with autism spectrum disorder; requiring the training component to be included in a specified course by a specified date; requiring specified law enforcement officers to complete the training component by a specified date; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1.âSection 320.021, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 320.021âBlue envelope and blue card program.â (1)âThe department shall establish a …