Fla. Stat. § 943.17 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 943 / Section 943.17
943.17 Basic recruit, advanced, and career development training programs; participation; cost; evaluation.
Status: in_force

The commission shall, by rule, design, implement, maintain, evaluate, and revise entry requirements and job-related curricula and performance standards for basic recruit, advanced, and career development training programs and courses. The rules shall include, but are not limited to, a methodology to assess relevance of the subject matter to the job, student performance, and instructor competency.

(1) The commission shall: (a) Design, implement, maintain, evaluate, revise, or adopt a basic recruit training program for the purpose of providing minimum employment training qualifications for all officers to be employed or appointed in each discipline. (b) Design, implement, maintain, evaluate, revise, or adopt an advanced training program which is limited to those courses enhancing an officer’s knowledge, skills, and abilities for the job he or she performs. (c) Design, implement, maintain, evaluate, revise, or adopt a career development training program which is limited to those courses related to promotion to a higher rank or position. Career development courses will not be eligible for funding as provided in s. 943.25(8). (d) Design, implement, maintain, evaluate, revise, or adopt a specialized training program consisting of identified goals and objectives that enhance an officer’s ability to perform his or her duties. (e) Implement, administer, maintain, and revise a job-related officer certification examination for each discipline. (f) Acknowledge any specialized training course approved by the commission prior to October 1, 1984, as an inservice training course under s. 943.175, except that the radar training course developed under former s. 943.14(14), Florida Statutes 1983, shall be considered an approved advanced training program course. (g) Assure that entrance into the basic recruit training program for law enforcement and correctional officers be limited to those who have passed a basic skills examination and assessment instrument, based on a job task analysis in each discipline and adopted by the commission. However, a person is not required to take the basic skills examination and assessment instrument before entering a law enforcement officer basic recruit training program if he or she is a veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14) or holds an associate degree or higher from an accredited college or university.

(2) The commission is encouraged to design, implement, maintain, evaluate, and revise criminal justice training courses, or to enter into contracts for such training courses, that are intended to provide for the safety and well-being of the citizens of and visitors to this state.

(3) The program shall be responsible for the accuracy of curriculum content through the identification and revision of typographical or grammatical errors, incorrect statutory citations, or information which can be identified as inaccurate by superior references. The commission shall be advised of any revision, and a copy of revised curricula shall be provided to all criminal justice training schools.

(4) The commission may, by rule, establish a sponsorship program for prospective officers. The rule shall specify the provisions of s. 943.13 that must be satisfied prior to the prospective officer’s enrollment in a basic recruit training course. However, the rule shall not conflict with any laws or rules of the State Board of Education relating to student enrollment.

(5) The commission shall establish standards for basic and advanced training programs for law enforcement officers in the subjects of investigating and preventing violent crime. Every basic skills course required in order for law enforcement officers to obtain initial certification must include training on violent crime prevention and investigations.

(6) Entrants into academies certified by the commission to instruct basic skills training are exempt from s. 1004.91.

(7) By July 1, 2022, the commission, in consultation with the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, shall establish minimum standards for basic skills and continued education training for law enforcement officers that include a culturally responsive, trauma-informed response to sexual assault.

History: s. 7, ch. 74-386; s. 4, ch. 78-323; s. 7, ch. 80-71; ss. 10, 24, 25, ch. 81-24; s. 1, ch. 82-46; s. 2, ch. 83-265; s. 15, ch. 84-258; s. 12, ch. 86-187; ss. 5, 6, ch. 87-186; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 8, ch. 93-204; s. 16, ch. 93-252; s. 6, ch. 95-408; s. 1635, ch. 97-102; s. 40, ch. 97-271; s. 18, ch. 98-94; s. 2, ch. 2000-187; s. 2, ch. 2001-127; s. 6, ch. 2002-205; s. 5, ch. 2003-278; s. 22, ch. 2004-41; s. 7, ch. 2010-62; s. 13, ch. 2011-52; s. 9, ch. 2019-113; s. 2, ch. 2021-229; s. 6, ch. 2022-23; s. 3, ch. 2025-83.