HB 1055 full text · Session Watch

1 A bill to be entitled

2 An act relating to public records; amending s.

3 119.071, F.S.; providing an exemption from public

4 records requirements for the personal identifying and

5 location information of current state attorney and

6 Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff

7 and the spouses and children of such nonlegal support

8 staff; providing for legislative review and repeal of

9 the exemption; providing for retroactive application

10 of the exemption; providing a statement of public

11 necessity; amending s. 744.21031, F.S.; conforming a

12 cross-reference; providing an effective date.

14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

16 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section

17 119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

18 119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of

19 public records.—

20 (4) AGENCY PERSONNEL INFORMATION.—

21 (d)1. For purposes of this paragraph, the term:

22 a. "Home addresses" means the dwelling location at which

23 an individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing

24 address, street address, parcel identification number, plot

25 identification number, legal property description, neighborhood

26 name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other descriptive

27 property information that may reveal the home address.

28 b. "Judicial assistant" means a court employee assigned to

29 the following class codes: 8140, 8150, 8310, and 8320.

30 c. "State attorney or Office of Statewide Prosecution

31 nonlegal support staff" means an employee assigned to one of the

32 following class codes: 6031, 6032, 6033, 6034, 6035, 6141, 6142,

33 6151, 6152, 6153, 6154, 6155, 6161, 6162, 6163, 6171, 6172,

34 6173, 6174, 6180, 6211, 6212, 6213, 6214, 6215, 6326, 6327,

35 6331, 6332, 6333, 6341, 6342, 6343, 6344, 6345, 6349, 6350,

36 6391, 6392, 6393, 6395, 6407, 6408, 6409, 6417, 6418, 6441,

37 6442, 6443, 6444, 6491, 6492, 6493, 6495, 6531, 6532, 6533,

38 6534, 6541, 6542, 6543, 6544, 6545, 6549, 6561, 6562, 6563,

39 6564, 6566, 6571, 6572, 6573, 6615, 6616, 6801, 6909, 6910, or

40 6911.

41 d.c. "Telephone numbers" includes home telephone numbers,

42 personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone

43 numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal

44 communications devices.

45 2.a. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of

46 birth, and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement

47 personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by

48 a law enforcement agency, including correctional and

49 correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of

50 Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of

51 abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, theft, or other criminal

52 activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties

53 are to support the investigation of child abuse or neglect, and

54 personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments

55 whose responsibilities include revenue collection and

56 enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home

57 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and

58 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

59 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care

60 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

61 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

62 Constitution.

63 b. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

64 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative

65 personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties

66 include the investigation of fraud, theft, workers' compensation

67 coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal

68 activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the

69 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and

70 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

71 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care

72 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

73 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

74 Constitution.

75 c. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

76 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative

77 personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation's Bureau of

78 Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation

79 of fraud, theft, other related criminal activities, or state

80 regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,

81 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of

82 the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and

83 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

84 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.

85 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

86 d. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

87 and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in

88 compliance with s. 633.408; the names, home addresses, telephone

89 numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment

90 of the spouses and children of such firefighters; and the names

91 and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

92 children of such firefighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and

93 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

94 e. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone

95 numbers of current or former justices of the Supreme Court,

96 district court of appeal judges, circuit court judges, and

97 county court judges and current judicial assistants; the names,

98 home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of

99 employment of the spouses and children of current or former

100 justices and judges and current judicial assistants; and the

101 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

102 by the children of current or former justices and judges and of

103 current judicial assistants are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.

104 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph

105 is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in

106 accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2,

107 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment

108 by the Legislature.

109 f.(I) The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of

110 birth, and photographs of current or former state attorneys,

111 assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant

112 statewide prosecutors; the names, home addresses, telephone

113 numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment

114 of the spouses and children of current or former state

115 attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or

116 assistant statewide prosecutors; and the names and locations of

117 schools and day care facilities attended by the children of

118 current or former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys,

119 statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors are

120 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

121 Constitution.

122 (II) The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of

123 birth, and photographs of current or former state attorneys,

124 assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant

125 statewide prosecutors or current state attorney or Office of

126 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff; the names, home

127 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and

128 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or

129 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide

130 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors or current state

131 attorney or Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support

132 staff; and the names and locations of schools and day care

133 facilities attended by the children of current or former state

134 attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or

135 assistant statewide prosecutors or current state attorney or

136 Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff are

137 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

138 Constitution. This sub-sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open

139 Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and

140 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and

141 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

142 g. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone

143 numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of

144 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division

145 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement

146 hearing officers; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,

147 dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and

148 children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of

149 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division

150 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement

151 hearing officers; and the names and locations of schools and day

152 care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,

153 special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,

154 administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative

155 Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are

156 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

157 Constitution.

158 h. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

159 and photographs of current or former human resource, labor

160 relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,

161 managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency

162 or water management district whose duties include hiring and

163 firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or

164 other personnel-related duties; the names, home addresses,

165 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of

166 the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and

167 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

168 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.

169 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

170 i. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

171 and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;

172 the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

173 and places of employment of the spouses and children of such

174 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care

175 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

176 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

177 Constitution.

178 j. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of

179 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former

180 guardians ad litem, as defined in s. 39.01; the names, home

181 addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of

182 employment of the spouses and children of such persons; and the

183 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

184 by the children of such persons are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and

185 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

186 k. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

187 and photographs of current or former juvenile probation

188 officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention

189 superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile

190 justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention

191 officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,

192 juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,

193 juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor

194 supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior

195 human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation

196 therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of

197 Juvenile Justice; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,

198 dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children

199 of such personnel; and the names and locations of schools and

200 day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel

201 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

202 Constitution.

203 l. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

204 and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant

205 public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,

206 and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the

207 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and

208 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or

209 former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal

210 conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal

211 conflict and civil regional counsel; and the names and locations

212 of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of

213 current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders,

214 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant

215 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel are exempt from s.

216 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

217 m. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

218 and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors

219 of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the

220 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and

221 places of employment of the spouses and children of such current

222 or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and

223 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

224 children of such current or former investigators and inspectors

225 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

226 Constitution.

227 n. The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of

228 birth of county tax collectors; the names, home addresses,

229 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of

230 the spouses and children of such tax collectors; and the names

231 and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

232 children of such tax collectors are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and

233 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

234 o. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

235 and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department

236 of Health whose duties include, or result in, the determination

237 or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability

238 benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed

239 against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health

240 care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the

241 Department of Health; the names, home addresses, telephone

242 numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses

243 and children of such personnel; and the names and locations of

244 schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such

245 personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of

246 the State Constitution.

247 p. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

248 and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner

249 consultants who are retained by an agency or current or former

250 employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties

251 result in a determination of a person's skill and safety to

252 practice a licensed profession; the names, home addresses,

253 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of

254 the spouses and children of such consultants or their employees;

255 and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities

256 attended by the children of such consultants or employees are

257 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

258 Constitution.

259 q. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

260 and photographs of current or former emergency medical

261 technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the

262 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and

263 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

264 emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and

265 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

266 children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are

267 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

268 Constitution.

269 r. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

270 and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an

271 agency's office of inspector general or internal audit

272 department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,

273 fraud, abuse, theft, exploitation, or other activities that

274 could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;

275 the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

276 and places of employment of spouses and children of such

277 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care

278 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

279 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

280 Constitution.

281 s. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

282 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,

283 supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction

284 treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,

285 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the

286 spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and

287 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

288 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.

289 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this

290 sub-subparagraph, the term "addiction treatment facility" means

291 a county government, or agency thereof, that is licensed

292 pursuant to s. 397.401 and provides substance abuse prevention,

293 intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed

294 service component described in s. 397.311(27).

295 t. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

296 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,

297 supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center

298 that meets the standards of s. 39.3035(2) and fulfills the

299 screening requirement of s. 39.3035(3), and the members of a

300 Child Protection Team as described in s. 39.303 whose duties

301 include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual

302 abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation

303 or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case

304 review team; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,

305 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the

306 spouses and children of such personnel and members; and the

307 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

308 by the children of such personnel and members are exempt from s.

309 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

310 u. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of

311 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former

312 staff and domestic violence advocates, as defined in s.

313 90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the

314 Department of Children and Families under chapter 39; the names,

315 home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates

316 of birth, and photographs of the spouses and children of such

317 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care

318 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

319 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

320 Constitution.

321 v. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

322 and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators

323 of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the

324 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and

325 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or

326 former inspectors or investigators; and the names and locations

327 of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of

328 current or former inspectors or investigators are exempt from s.

329 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This

330 sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review

331 Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on

332 October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through

333 reenactment by the Legislature.

334 w. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

335 and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county

336 attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant

337 city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys; the names, home

338 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and

339 places of employment of the spouses and children of current

340 county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county

341 attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy

342 city attorneys; and the names and locations of schools and day

343 care facilities attended by the children of current county

344 attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys,

345 city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city

346 attorneys are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of

347 the State Constitution. This exemption does not apply to a

348 county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county

349 attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city

350 attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public

351 office. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government

352 Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand

353 repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from

354 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

355 x. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

356 and photographs of current or former commissioners of the

357 Florida Gaming Control Commission; the names, home addresses,

358 telephone numbers, dates of birth, photographs, and places of

359 employment of the spouses and children of such current or former

360 commissioners; and the names and locations of schools and day

361 care facilities attended by the children of such current or

362 former commissioners are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),

363 Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is

364 subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance

365 with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029,

366 unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the

367 Legislature.

368 y. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

369 and photographs of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy

370 clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court

371 personnel; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates

372 of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children

373 of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the

374 circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel; and the

375 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

376 by the children of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy

377 clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court

378 personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of

379 the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the

380 Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15

381 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and

382 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

383 z.(I) As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term:

384 (A) "Congressional member" means a person who is elected

385 to serve as a member of the United States House of

386 Representatives or is elected or appointed to serve as a member

387 of the United States Senate.

388 (B) "Partial home address" means the dwelling location at

389 which an individual resides and includes the physical address,

390 mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,

391 plot identification number, legal property description,

392 neighborhood name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other

393 descriptive property information that may reveal the partial

394 home address, except for the city and zip code.

395 (C) "Public officer" means a person who holds one of the

396 following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief

397 Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,

398 state representative, state senator, property appraiser,

399 supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board

400 member, mayor, city commissioner, or county commissioner.

401 (II) The following information is exempt from s. 119.07(1)

402 and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:

403 (A) The partial home addresses of a current congressional

404 member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.

405 (B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional

406 member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.

407 (C) The name, home addresses, telephone numbers, and date

408 of birth of a minor child of a current congressional member or

409 public officer and the name and location of the school or day

410 care facility attended by the minor child.

411 (III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open

412 Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and

413 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and

414 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

415 3.a. An agency that is the custodian of the information

416 specified in subparagraph 2. and that is not the employer of the

417 officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in

418 subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that

419 information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other

420 person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a

421 written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption

422 to the custodial agency. The request must state under oath the

423 statutory basis for the individual's exemption request and

424 confirm the individual's status as a party eligible for exempt

425 status.

426 b. An agency that is the custodian of information

427 specified in sub-subparagraph 2.z. and that is not the employer

428 of the congressional member, public officer, or other person

429 specified in sub-subparagraph 2.z. must maintain the exempt

430 status of that information only if an individual requests the

431 maintenance of an exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. on

432 the basis of eligibility as a current congressional member or

433 public officer and his or her spouse or child submits, as part

434 of the written and notarized request required by sub-

435 subparagraph a., the date of the congressional member's or

436 public officer's election or appointment to public office, the

437 date on which that office is next subject to election, and, if

438 applicable, the date on which the current congressional member's

439 or public officer's minor child reaches the age of majority. The

440 custodian must maintain an exemption granted pursuant to sub-

441 subparagraph 2.z. until the qualifying conditions for the

442 exemption no longer apply to the person subject to the

443 exemption.

444 4.a. A county property appraiser, as defined in s.

445 192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.

446 192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for

447 maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must

448 comply by removing the name of the individual with exempt status

449 and the instrument number or Official Records book and page

450 number identifying the property with the exempt status from all

451 publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser

452 or tax collector. For written requests received on or before

453 July 1, 2021, a county property appraiser or county tax

454 collector must comply with this sub-subparagraph by October 1,

455 2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may

456 not remove the street address, legal description, or other

457 information identifying real property within the agency's

458 records so long as a name or personal information otherwise

459 exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is

460 not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the

461 public records of the agency.

462 b. Any information restricted from public display,

463 inspection, or copying under sub-subparagraph a. must be

464 provided to the individual whose information was removed.

465 5. An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other

466 person specified in subparagraph 2. may submit a written request

467 for the release of his or her exempt information to the

468 custodial agency. The written request must be notarized and must

469 specify the information to be released and the party authorized

470 to receive the information. Upon receipt of the written request,

471 the custodial agency must release the specified information to

472 the party authorized to receive such information.

473 6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information

474 held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the

475 exemption.

476 7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be

477 disclosed pursuant to s. 28.2221 to a title insurer authorized

478 pursuant to s. 624.401 and its affiliates as defined in s.

479 624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as

480 defined in s. 626.841(1) or (2), respectively; or an attorney

481 duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing

482 with The Florida Bar.

483 8. The exempt status of a home address contained in the

484 Official Records is maintained only during the period when a

485 protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon

486 conveyance of real property after October 1, 2021, and when such

487 real property no longer constitutes a protected party's home

488 address as defined in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the protected party

489 must submit a written request to release the removed information

490 to the county recorder. The written request to release the

491 removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a

492 protected party's request for release is pursuant to a

493 conveyance of his or her dwelling location, and must specify the

494 Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk's

495 file number for each document containing the information to be

496 released.

497 9. Upon the death of a protected party as verified by a

498 certified copy of a death certificate or court order, any party

499 can request the county recorder to release a protected

500 decedent's removed information unless there is a related request

501 on file with the county recorder for continued removal of the

502 decedent's information or unless such removal is otherwise

503 prohibited by statute or by court order. The written request to

504 release the removed information upon the death of a protected

505 party must attach the certified copy of a death certificate or

506 court order and must be notarized, must confirm the request for

507 release is due to the death of a protected party, and must

508 specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument

509 number, or clerk's file number for each document containing the

510 information to be released. A fee may not be charged for the

511 release of any document pursuant to such request.

512 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public

513 necessity that the home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of

514 birth, and photographs of current state attorney and Office of

515 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff; the names, home

516 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and

517 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

518 nonlegal support staff; and the names and locations of schools

519 and day care facilities attended by the children of such

520 nonlegal support staff be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida

521 Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution.

522 Such personal identifying and location information can be used

523 as a tool to perpetrate fraud against an individual or to

524 acquire sensitive personal, financial, medical, and familial

525 information, the release of which could cause great financial

526 harm to the individual. In the course of assisting in reviewing

527 criminal prosecution cases; assisting assistant state attorneys

528 and assistant statewide prosecutors; maintaining contact with

529 victims, witnesses, criminal defense attorneys, judicial

530 assistants, and law enforcement; and possessing and handling

531 sensitive criminal justice information and personal identifying

532 and location information, including, but not limited to,

533 biometric data, identity history data, biographic data, property

534 data, and case and incident history data within strict security

535 protocols, such nonlegal support staff may incur the ill will of

536 litigants, the accused, the convicted, and the associates and

537 families of such litigants, accused, and convicted, thus making

538 such nonlegal support staff and the spouses and children of such

539 nonlegal support staff targets for acts of revenge. If such

540 personal identifying and location information is released, the

541 safety of such nonlegal support staff and the spouses and

542 children of such nonlegal support staff could be seriously

543 jeopardized. For these reasons, the Legislature finds that it is

544 a public necessity that such personal identifying and location

545 information be made exempt from public records requirements.

546 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section

547 744.21031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

548 744.21031 Public records exemption.—

549 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:

550 (c) "Telephone numbers" has the same meaning as provided

551 in s. 119.071(4)(d)1.d. ~~s. 119.071(4)(d)1.c.~~

552 Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.