HB 1013 creates a new section of Florida law directing the Department of Children and Families, if funded by a specific appropriation, to establish Crisis Care Coordination Pilot Programs in Polk and Volusia counties. The stated purpose is to reduce repeat involuntary examinations initiated by law enforcement, offer people experiencing an acute mental health crisis an alternative to police-only response, reduce post-crisis contact with law enforcement, and improve connections to behavioral health care.
The bill requires the pilot programs to be run by nationally accredited community mental health centers in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. Crisis counselors would be placed within law enforcement agencies to help respond to crisis calls, de-escalate situations, conduct assessments, provide referrals, and follow up voluntarily with individuals after an involuntary examination or other law-enforcement-involved crisis. Follow-up services may include safety planning, supportive counseling, help accessing mental health and substance use treatment, discharge planning support, and care coordination.
HB 1013 also requires formal referral agreements and information-sharing procedures with mental health and substance abuse providers, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to ensure timely access to community-based services. The Department of Children and Families must contract for an independent evaluation of the pilots’ effectiveness and return on investment and submit a report to the Governor and legislative leaders by January 15, 2029, including data on law enforcement time spent, repeat involuntary examinations, service engagement, and recommendations on expansion. The pilot programs expire June 30, 2029, and the department is authorized to adopt rules to implement the section.
The bill’s impact on state law is to add a temporary, county-specific crisis response framework within Florida’s mental health statutes, centered on coordination between law enforcement and behavioral health providers. It does not mandate a statewide program, but it creates a structured pilot model that could influence future policy if the evaluation shows positive results. Because implementation is subject to appropriation, the practical effect depends on funding.
Overall, the bill appears aimed at improving crisis response and reducing reliance on law enforcement for behavioral health emergencies, and the available context suggests it was not highly controversial in committee. There are no recorded votes or transcript snippets indicating opposition or support arguments, but the fact that it died in Senate Fiscal Policy suggests the main hurdle was likely fiscal rather than policy-based. The most notable point of potential contention is the cost of staffing, coordination, and evaluation versus the expected benefits, along with the use of law enforcement agencies as the setting for crisis counselors and the handling of information-sharing and follow-up care.
HB 1013 would create section 394.6581, Florida Statutes, establishing a temporary crisis care coordination pilot in Polk and Volusia counties under the Department of Children and Families. It would require partnerships between law enforcement and accredited community mental health centers, authorize crisis counselor interventions and voluntary follow-up services, require referral agreements with providers and hospitals, and mandate an independent evaluation and report to the Legislature. The section would sunset on June 30, 2029, making the change a limited pilot rather than a permanent statewide mandate.
The available record suggests generally favorable policy intent around improving mental health crisis response, reducing repeat involuntary examinations, and easing law enforcement involvement in behavioral health emergencies. No committee transcript or vote data is provided showing active debate, and the bill advanced far enough to be considered in the Senate before dying in Fiscal Policy. That outcome indicates the bill likely had policy appeal but ran into fiscal or appropriations concerns rather than broad ideological opposition.
The main likely point of contention is funding, since the pilot programs are expressly subject to a specific appropriation and require staffing, coordination, and an independent evaluation. Another possible concern is the operational model: placing crisis counselors within law enforcement agencies may raise questions about privacy, information exchange, and whether crisis services should be more fully separated from police response. Supporters would likely emphasize diversion from law enforcement and better linkage to care, while skeptics may focus on cost, implementation complexity, and the need to prove measurable results before expansion.