The proposed bill establishes a new section, 394.6581, in the Florida Statutes to create Crisis Care Coordination Pilot Programs in Polk and Volusia Counties, aimed at improving mental health crisis intervention. The Department of Children and Families is tasked with implementing these programs, which will focus on reducing the frequency of involuntary examinations initiated by law enforcement, providing alternative crisis intervention options, and facilitating engagement with behavioral health care. The programs will involve partnerships between law enforcement agencies and accredited community mental health centers, with crisis counselors embedded within law enforcement to assist individuals experiencing acute mental health crises.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Children and Families contract for an independent evaluation of the pilot programs, with a report due by January 15, 2029, detailing their effectiveness and return on investment. The report will assess various metrics, including law enforcement engagement time, the rate of repeat involuntary examinations, and post-crisis service engagement. The bill also grants the department rulemaking authority and specifies that the pilot programs will expire on June 30, 2029, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.