Student Elopement

HB 423 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb423-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to student elopement; creating s. 2
1003.211, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring 3
public schools to create a School Staff Assistance for 4
Emergencies (SAFE) Team and a school elopement plan; 5
providing requirements for the plan; providing for 6
membership and responsibilities of the SAFE team; 7
requiring the SAFE team to create student-specific 8
elopement quick reference guides for certain students; 9
providing requirements for such guides; requiring 10
public schools to annually submit their plans to the 11
district school board; authorizing the State Board of 12
Education to adopt rules; providing an effective date. 13
14
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
16
Section 1. Section 1003.211, Florida Statutes, is created 17
to read: 18
1003.211 School elopement plans.— 19
(1) For purposes of this section, the term: 20
(a) "Disability" means, for a student in kindergarten 21
through grade 12, an autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the 22
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth 23
Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, or 24
an intellectual disability, as defined in s. 393.063. 25

HB 423 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb423-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(b) "Elopement" means when a student with autism or 26
another disability, who has a documented history of elopement or 27
an identified safety risk related to elopement, leaves a safe or 28
designated area, the supervision of school staff, or school 29
grounds without authorization or awareness of potential risk. 30
The term may include wandering, walking away, running away, or 31
otherwise departing an assigned location unsupervised or 32
unnoticed. This term only applies when the behavior is connected 33
to the student's disability-related needs and poses a safety 34
concern. The term does not include intentional class skipping or 35
other nondisability-related absences. 36
(2) To ensure the safety of students with disabilities at 37
risk of elopement, each public school shall create a School 38
Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team and a school 39
elopement plan. The plan must include: 40
(a) Procedures for immediately contacting the student's 41
parent or guardian if a student with disabilities elopes. 42
(b) Procedures for conducting an immediate, coordinated 43
on-campus search and contacting emergency services only when the 44
student is reasonably believed, based on verified information or 45
direct observation, to have left school grounds and to be at 46
risk of harm. 47
(3) The school principal and an assistant principal shall 48
serve on the SAFE Team and the school principal shall appoint at 49
least three other members to serve on the team, including the 50

HB 423 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb423-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

school resource officer. The SAFE Team shall: 51
(a) Create and annually update the school elopement plan 52
and respond to all elopements. 53
(b) Provide training to all school personnel to 54
familiarize such personnel with the school elopement plan and 55
all necessary procedures. 56
(4)(a) If a student with disabilities is prone to 57
elopement, the SAFE Team, in coordination with the student's 58
parent, must create a student-specific elopement quick reference 59
guide. The elopement quick reference guide must include all of 60
the following: 61
1. The student's identifying information. 62
2. A current photograph of the student. 63
3. The student's level of communication. 64
4. A list of the student's interests, behaviors, 65
preferences, and aversions. 66
5. Any health considerations for the student. 67
6. A list of any GPS technology that could be used to help 68
locate the student. 69
7. A list of possible locations where the student may go 70
when eloping. 71
(b) The SAFE Team must distribute a student's elopement 72
quick reference guide to the student's parent and all relevant 73
school personnel. 74
(5) Each public school must annually provide its elopement 75

HB 423 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb423-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

plan to the district school board. 76
(6) The state board may adopt rules to administer this 77
section. 78
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 79