Florida bill would create safety plan for students with disabilities who elope

ORLANDO, Fla. — A new bill filed by a Central Florida lawmaker aims to establish clear safety procedures for public school staff if a student with a disability elopes, or runs away unattended.

What You Need To Know
• House Bill 423, Student Elopement, was filed by Rep. Anna Eskamani
• The bill requires public schools to create a student elopement plan and SAFE Team
• Parents of children with disabilities support the proposal
• If passed, it would take effect July 2026

House Bill 423 was introduced by State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-District 42. It would require public schools to form a School Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team and adopt an emergency elopement plan to follow when a student with disabilities leaves school grounds unsupervised.

“When it comes to the safety of our children, especially our children with disabilities, these are not partisan issues. Everyone agrees there’s universal support. We just have to really work through the process to actually get this bill to the governor’s desk,” Eskamani said.

The proposal is welcome news for parents like Monica Carretero, whose child used to elope when he was younger. She is active with the Autism Society of Greater Orlando.

“Eloping is one of the most nerve-wracking situations that any parent of a child with a disability can have,” Carretero said.

The plan outlines steps such as contacting the student’s parent or guardian, searching the campus, calling 911 if the student cannot be located, and preparing a reference guide for the SAFE Team. The guide would include the student’s photo, communication level and possible locations they may go.

Carretero told Spectrum News that elopement is so common “it demands systematic change.”

“I really hope that all of this time that we have been explaining to legislators how elopement affects people with disabilities, I think that we have made them aware that this needs to happen,” she said.

A similar measure, Senate Bill 494, was filed by State Sen. Kristen Arrington, D-District 25.

Eskamani said the bill has bipartisan support, and they now need hearings in both the House and Senate. If approved and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the bill would go into effect July 1, 2026.

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