SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1570

Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs
Send via email
SPONSOR
Gaetz
FILED BY
Don Gaetz — District 1, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
HB 1405 — SB 1570 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Criminal Justice.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs; Amending a provision relating to the missing persons with special needs statewide project; providing that the project is created through the centers for autism and related disabilities; requiring that participants for the project be selected based on certain criteria, etc. APPROPRIATION: $1,000,000

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Revives Project Leo, removes its 2019 expiration, and appropriates $1 million for devices.

The bill revives the statewide Project Leo, which was set to expire in 2019, and removes that expiration date to make the program permanent.

It appropriates $1 million in nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, split equally among four university-based autism centers.

The funds are restricted to purchasing personal devices that aid search-and-rescue efforts for individuals with special needs who elope.

Each participating center will select project participants based on criteria it develops, which must include the person's risk of elopement.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Permanently re-establishes Project Leo statewide majors. 937.041(5)

AIRemoves the 2019 expiration date, making the missing persons with special needs project a permanent part of Florida law rather than a temporary program.

“This section expires June 30, 2019.” bill text, line 45 →
§ 2 Shifts project administration to multiple centers majors. 937.041(1)

AIChanges the project from being run by a single center to being run through all centers for autism and related disabilities, with each center opting in and distributing devices.

“through the centers for autism and related disabilities” bill text, line 6 →
§ 3 Delegates participant selection criteria to individual centers moderates. 937.041(2)

AIAllows each center to develop its own selection criteria based on its specific service area, with the only mandatory criterion being the person's risk of elopement.

“criteria developed by the respective center for autism and related disabilities” bill text, line 27 →
§ 4 Appropriates $1 million for device purchases moderates. 2

AIProvides $250,000 to each of four university-based centers, restricted solely to purchasing personal devices for search-and-rescue efforts.

“used solely for the purchase of personal devices” bill text, line 58 →
TIMELINE
3/10/2026
Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 1405 (Ch. 2026-172...
3/10/2026
Substituted HB 1405 -SJ 746
3/10/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 746
3/5/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/10/26
3/3/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
3/2/2026
Favorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 18 NAYS 0
2/26/2026
On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 03/02/26, 12:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
2/26/2026
Now in Fiscal Policy
2/25/2026
Favorable by Appropriations Committee on Higher Education; YEAS 5 NAYS 0
2/20/2026
On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Higher...
1/28/2026
Now in Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
1/28/2026
Favorable by Education Postsecondary; YEAS 5 NAYS 0
1/23/2026
On Committee agenda-- Education Postsecondary, 01/28/26, 10:30 am,...
1/22/2026
Introduced
1/16/2026
Referred to Education Postsecondary; Appropriations Committee on...
1/9/2026
Filed
10 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 937.041
+5 / −10
s. 937.041
+0 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES
2 MORE →