THE BILL ITSELF
HB 423
Student Elopement
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to student elopement; creating s.
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1003.211, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring
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public schools to create a School Staff Assistance for
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Emergencies (SAFE) Team and a school elopement plan;
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providing requirements for the plan; providing for
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membership and responsibilities of the SAFE team;
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requiring the SAFE team to create student-specific
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elopement quick reference guides for certain students;
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providing requirements for such guides; requiring
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public schools to annually submit their plans to the
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district school board; authorizing the State Board of
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Education to adopt rules; providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 1003.211, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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1003.211 School elopement plans.—
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(1) For purposes of this section, the term:
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(a) "Disability" means, for a student in kindergarten
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through grade 12, an autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the
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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth
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Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, or
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an intellectual disability, as defined in s. 393.063.
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(b) "Elopement" means when a student with autism or
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another disability, who has a documented history of elopement or
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an identified safety risk related to elopement, leaves a safe or
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designated area, the supervision of school staff, or school
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grounds without authorization or awareness of potential risk.
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The term may include wandering, walking away, running away, or
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otherwise departing an assigned location unsupervised or
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unnoticed. This term only applies when the behavior is connected
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to the student's disability-related needs and poses a safety
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concern. The term does not include intentional class skipping or
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other nondisability-related absences.
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(2) To ensure the safety of students with disabilities at
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risk of elopement, each public school shall create a School
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Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team and a school
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elopement plan. The plan must include:
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(a) Procedures for immediately contacting the student's
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parent or guardian if a student with disabilities elopes.
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(b) Procedures for conducting an immediate, coordinated
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on-campus search and contacting emergency services only when the
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student is reasonably believed, based on verified information or
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direct observation, to have left school grounds and to be at
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risk of harm.
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(3) The school principal and an assistant principal shall
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serve on the SAFE Team and the school principal shall appoint at
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least three other members to serve on the team, including the
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school resource officer. The SAFE Team shall:
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(a) Create and annually update the school elopement plan
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and respond to all elopements.
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(b) Provide training to all school personnel to
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familiarize such personnel with the school elopement plan and
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all necessary procedures.
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(4)(a) If a student with disabilities is prone to
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elopement, the SAFE Team, in coordination with the student's
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parent, must create a student-specific elopement quick reference
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guide. The elopement quick reference guide must include all of
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the following:
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1. The student's identifying information.
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2. A current photograph of the student.
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3. The student's level of communication.
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4. A list of the student's interests, behaviors,
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preferences, and aversions.
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5. Any health considerations for the student.
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6. A list of any GPS technology that could be used to help
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locate the student.
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7. A list of possible locations where the student may go
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when eloping.
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(b) The SAFE Team must distribute a student's elopement
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quick reference guide to the student's parent and all relevant
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school personnel.
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(5) Each public school must annually provide its elopement
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plan to the district school board.
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(6) The state board may adopt rules to administer this
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section.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.