HB 1429 Summary

• Creates section 1003.211 of Florida Statutes requiring each public school to establish a School Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team and develop a comprehensive school elopement plan for students with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities.

• SAFE Team must include the school principal, assistant principal, and at least five additional appointed members; team responsibilities include creating and annually updating the elopement plan, training all school personnel, and responding to all elopement incidents.

• School elopement plans must include a search grid of campus and surrounding areas with bodies of water, intersections, train tracks, parks, and playgrounds; notification and search procedures; and a coordinated response protocol including Code Gray announcements and immediate parent contact.

• SAFE Team must create student-specific elopement quick reference guides for prone students containing identifying information, current photograph, communication level, interests and behaviors, health considerations, GPS technology options, and possible location lists.

• Each public school must annually submit its elopement plan to the district school board; State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer the section; effective date is July 1, 2023.