FL S0330

Establishes "Project Leo," a pilot program in Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties to provide personal assistive technology devices to persons with special needs to aid in search and rescue efforts during elopement incidents.

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University of Florida develops selection criteria based on individual risk of elopement, selects participants on a first-come, first-served basis using existing resources, and offers the voluntary program free to participants.

County sheriff's offices distribute tracking devices to participants in conjunction with the center, which funds all costs associated with device monitoring.

Center must submit a preliminary report by December 1, 2015, and a final report by December 15, 2016, to the Governor and Legislature documenting participant demographics, elopement incidents, rescue times, and recommendations for program continuation.

Pilot program operates within the center's existing funding and expires June 30, 2017; legislation takes effect July 1, 2015.