Senate Bill 524 (2026) — Department of Law Enforcement
SB 524
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 By Senator Simon 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 1 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Department of Law Enforcement; 2 amending s. 406.02, F.S.; specifying the circumstances 3 under which an appointment or reappointment to the 4 Medical Examiners Commission is considered in force; 5 requiring the commission to approve the appointment of 6 district medical examiners by a majority vote to fill 7 vacancies; amending s. 406.06, F.S.; requiring the 8 commission, rather than the Governor, to appoint 9 district medical examiners for each medical examiner 10 district; specifying that upon approval by the 11 commission, rather than by the Governor, a physician 12 member of the commission is eligible to serve as a 13 district medical examiner; amending s. 943.11, F.S.; 14 requiring the Criminal Justice Professionalism Program 15 to provide staff support to the Criminal Justice 16 Standards and Training Commission; requiring the 17 commission to act independently of any criminal 18 justice agency; amending s. 943.1395, F.S.; requiring 19 commission staff to provide service by certified mail 20 to a certain licensee’s last known address of record 21 and, if possible, by e-mail; requiring commission 22 staff to take specified action if the person providing 23 service does not provide commission staff with proof 24 of service; amending ss. 943.1726, 943.17261, 25 943.1727, and 943.17299, F.S.; requiring the 26 commission, rather than the Department of Law 27 Enforcement, to establish or develop specified 28 training components or courses; providing an effective 29
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 2 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. date. 30 31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 32 33
Section 1. Subsections (2) and (4) of
section 406.02, 34 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 35 406.02 Medical Examiners Commission; membership; terms; 36 duties; staff.— 37
(2) The term of office of the physicians appointed to the 38 commission shall be 4 years. The term of office of the state 39 attorney, public defender, sheriff, and county commissioner each 40 shall be 4 years unless she or he leaves that office sooner, in 41 which case her or his appointment will terminate. The term of 42 office of the funeral director shall be 4 years. Upon the 43 expiration of the present terms of office, the Governor shall 44 appoint two members for terms of 4 years, two members for terms 45 of 3 years, two members for terms of 2 years, and one member for 46 a term of 1 year.
An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for 47 the unexpired portion of the term. An appointment or 48 reappointment is considered in force until the appointee 49 resigns, the appointee is no longer qualified for the position, 50 or the Governor appoints a new member. 51
(4) The Medical Examiners Commission shall: 52 (
a) Initiate cooperative policies with any agency of the 53 state or political subdivision thereof. 54 (
b) Approve the appointment of district medical examiners 55 by a majority vote to fill vacancies. 56 (
c) Remove or suspend district medical examiners pursuant 57 to this act and have the authority to investigate violations of 58
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 3 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. this act. 59 (d)(
c) Oversee the distribution of state funds for the 60 medical examiner districts and may make such agreements and 61 contracts, subject to approval of the executive director of the 62 Department of Law Enforcement, as may be necessary to effect the 63 provisions of this chapter. 64
Section 2. Subsection (1) of
section 406.06, Florida 65 Statutes, is amended to read: 66 406.06 District medical examiners; associates; suspension 67 of medical examiners.— 68 (1)(
a) A district medical examiner shall be appointed by 69 The Medical Examiners Commission shall appoint a district 70 medical examiner, who must be a practicing physician in 71 pathology, Governor for each medical examiner district from 72 nominees who are practicing physicians in pathology, whose 73 nominations are submitted to the Governor by the Medical 74 Examiners Commission. The term of office of each district 75 medical examiner shall be 3 years. An appointment to fill a 76 vacancy shall be for the unexpired portion of the term. 77 (
b) A physician member of the Medical Examiners Commission 78 is shall be eligible to serve as a district medical examiner 79 upon approval by the Medical Examiners Commission Governor. 80
Section 3. Paragraph (
a) of subsection (1) of
section 81 943.11, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 82 943.11 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission; 83 membership; meetings; compensation.— 84 (1)(
a) There is created a Criminal Justice Standards and 85 Training Commission within the Department of Law Enforcement. 86 The Criminal Justice Professionalism Program shall provide staff 87
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 4 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. support to the commission as authorized in s. 943.09; however, 88 the commission must act independently of any criminal justice 89 agency.
The commission shall be composed of 19 members, 90 consisting of the Secretary of Corrections or a designated 91 assistant; the Attorney General or a designee; the Director of 92 the Division of the Florida Highway Patrol; and 16 members 93 appointed by the Governor, consisting of 3 sheriffs; 3 chiefs of 94 police; 5 law enforcement officers who are of the rank of 95 sergeant or below within the employing agency; 2 correctional 96 officers, 1 of whom is an administrator of a state correctional 97 institution and 1 of whom is of the rank of sergeant or below 98 within the employing agency; 1 training center director; 1 99 person who is in charge of a county correctional institution; 100 and 1 resident of the state who falls into none of the foregoing 101 classifications.
Prior to the appointment, the sheriff, chief of 102 police, law enforcement officer, and correctional officer 103 members must have had at least 4 years’ experience as law 104 enforcement officers or correctional officers. 105
Section 4. Present subsection (10) of
section 943.1395, 106 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (11), and a new 107 subsection (10) is added to that section, to read: 108 943.1395 Certification for employment or appointment; 109 concurrent certification; reemployment or reappointment; 110 inactive status; revocation; suspension; investigation.— 111
(10) Notwithstanding s. 120.60(5), if an administrative 112 complaint is served on a certified law enforcement officer, a 113 correctional officer, a correctional probation officer, or an 114 instructor, commission staff must provide service by certified 115 mail to the licensee’s last known address of record and, if 116
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 5 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. possible, by e-mail. If the person providing service does not 117 provide commission staff with proof of service, commission staff 118 must call the last known telephone number of record and cause a 119 short, plain notice to the licensee to be posted on the front 120 page of the commission’s website. 121
Section
Section 943.1726, Florida Statutes, is amended 122 to read: 123 943.1726 Continued employment training relating to diabetic 124 emergencies.—The commission department shall establish an online 125 continued employment training component relating to diabetic 126 emergencies. The training component shall include, but need not 127 be limited to, instruction on the recognition of symptoms of 128 such an emergency, distinguishing such an emergency from alcohol 129 intoxication or drug overdose, and appropriate first aid for 130 such an emergency.
Completion of the training component may 131 count toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued 132 employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer required 133 under s. 943.135. 134
Section
Section 943.17261, Florida Statutes, is amended 135 to read: 136 943.17261 Department of Law Enforcement; Training related 137 to medical use of marijuana.—The commission Department of Law 138 Enforcement shall develop a 4-hour online initial training 139 course, and a 2-hour online continuing education course, which 140 shall be made available for use by all law enforcement agencies 141 in this state. Such training shall cover the legal parameters of 142 marijuana-related activities governed by ss. 381.986 and 381.988 143 relating to criminal laws governing marijuana. 144
Section
Section 943.1727, Florida Statutes, is amended 145
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 6 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. to read: 146 943.1727 Continued employment training relating to autism 147 spectrum disorder.—The commission department shall establish a 148 continued employment training component relating to autism 149 spectrum disorder as defined in s. 627.6686.
The training 150 component shall include, but need not be limited to, instruction 151 on the recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an 152 individual on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate 153 responses to an individual exhibiting such symptoms and 154 characteristics. Completion of the training component may count 155 toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or 156 appointment as a law enforcement officer required under s. 157 943.135. 158
Section
Section 943.17299, Florida Statutes, is amended 159 to read: 160 943.17299 Continued employment training relating to 161 Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.—The 162 commission department shall establish an online, continued 163 employment training component relating to Alzheimer’s disease 164 and related forms of dementia.
The training component must be 165 developed in consultation with the Department of Elder Affairs 166 and must include, but need not be limited to, instruction on 167 interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related 168 form of dementia, including instruction on techniques for 169 recognizing behavioral symptoms and characteristics, effective 170 communication, employing the use of alternatives to physical 171 restraints, and identifying signs of abuse, neglect, or 172 exploitation. Completion of the training component may count 173 toward the 40 hours of instruction for continued employment or 174
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 524 3-00680-26 2026524__ Page 7 of 7 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. appointment as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, 175 or correctional probation officer required under s. 943.135. 176