FL H0561

Creates Section 320.0849 authorizing deaf individuals to request identification cards and placards from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to indicate deaf status, which may be presented to law enforcement during traffic stops.

Amends Section 901.245 to require law enforcement officers to seek a qualified interpreter before arresting or interrogating a deaf person suspected of criminal violation, except in emergencies when public safety is at risk.

Authorizes officers to interrogate deaf persons without an interpreter only in emergencies when all reasonable efforts to obtain an interpreter have failed, and requires such interrogation and answers to be conducted in writing and preserved for court proceedings.

Creates Section 943.1723 requiring the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to establish training standards for law enforcement officers in dealing with deaf individuals and mandating each law enforcement agency maintain at least one on-call officer trained in or fluent in American Sign Language.

Effective date July 1, 2015.