FL H1395

Every Florida public school must establish a School Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team — composed of the principal, assistant principal, and at least five other appointed members — and develop a school elopement plan to protect students with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities who are at risk of leaving school grounds unsupervised.

The school elopement plan must include a search grid of the campus and surrounding areas identifying hazards such as bodies of water, intersections, train tracks, parks, and playgrounds, as well as procedures for notifying administrators, the school resource officer, and local law enforcement immediately upon an elopement.

A coordinated response procedure, including announcing a "Code Gray" to alert all school personnel and immediately contacting the student's parent, is required as part of the elopement plan.

For students with disabilities who are prone to elopement, the SAFE Team must create, in coordination with the parent, a student-specific quick reference guide containing the student's photo, identifying information, communication level, interests, health considerations, available GPS technology, and likely locations within the search grid.

Each public school must annually submit its elopement plan to the district school board, and the State Board of Education is authorized to adopt rules to administer the new requirements, effective July 1, 2024.