A new law in Florida aims to improve the state’s emergency response system for cases involving missing children with autism. Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed House Bill 711, which received unanimous support in the Florida Legislature.
This legislation establishes the Spectrum Alert, a new statewide notification system based on existing AMBER, Silver, and Purple alerts. The focus of the Spectrum Alert is to assist law enforcement in quickly locating missing children with autism, as this condition often presents sensory and emotional processing challenges that can complicate traditional search efforts.
In addition to the alert system, the law mandates the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to create a specialized training program to enhance first responders’ understanding of autism spectrum disorder.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 481 children on the autism spectrum were reported missing in 2024.
The law will officially take effect on July 1, 2025, but law enforcement agencies will have until July 1, 2026, to fully implement the new program.
