SB 1084 full text · Session Watch

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1084 By Senator DiCeglie 18-00777-26 20261084__

1 A bill to be entitled

2 An act relating to public records; amending s.

3 119.071, F.S.; defining the term “state attorney’s

4 office or Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal

5 support staff”; providing an exemption from public

6 records requirements for the personal identifying and

7 location information of current state attorney’s

8 office and Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal

9 support staff and the spouses and children of such

10 staff; providing for future legislative review and

11 repeal of the exemption; providing for retroactive

12 application; amending s. 744.21031, F.S.; conforming a

13 cross-reference; providing a statement of public

14 necessity; providing an effective date.

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

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

19 119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

20 119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of

21 public records.—

22 (4) AGENCY PERSONNEL INFORMATION.—

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

24 a. “Home addresses” means the dwelling location at which an

25 individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing

26 address, street address, parcel identification number, plot

27 identification number, legal property description, neighborhood

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

29 property information that may reveal the home address.

30 b. “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to

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

32 c. “State attorney’s office or Office of Statewide

33 Prosecution nonlegal support staff” means an employee of a state

34 attorney’s office or the Office of Statewide Prosecution

35 assigned to the following class codes: 6031, 6032, 6033, 6034,

36 6035, 6141, 6142, 6151, 6152, 6153, 6154, 6155, 6161, 6162,

37 6163, 6171, 6172, 6173, 6174, 6180, 6211, 6212, 6213, 6214,

38 6215, 6326, 6327, 6331, 6332, 6333, 6341, 6342, 6343, 6344,

39 6345, 6349, 6350, 6391, 6392, 6393, 6395, 6407, 6408, 6409,

40 6417, 6418, 6441, 6442, 6443, 6444, 6491, 6492, 6493, 6495,

41 6531, 6532, 6533, 6534, 6541, 6542, 6543, 6544, 6545, 6549,

42 6561, 6562, 6563, 6564, 6566, 6571, 6572, 6573, 6615, 6616,

43 6801, 6909, 6910, or 6911.

44 d. “Telephone numbers” includes home telephone numbers,

45 personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone

46 numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal

47 communications devices.

48 2.a. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

49 and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement

50 personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by

51 a law enforcement agency, including correctional and

52 correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of

53 Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of

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

55 activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties

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

57 personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments

58 whose responsibilities include revenue collection and

59 enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home

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

61 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

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

63 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

65 Constitution.

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

67 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative

68 personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties

69 include the investigation of fraud, theft, workers’ compensation

70 coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal

71 activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the

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

73 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

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

75 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

77 Constitution.

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

79 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative

80 personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of

81 Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation

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

83 regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,

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

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

86 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

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

88 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

90 and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

102 employment of the spouses and children of current or former

103 justices and judges and current judicial assistants; and the

104 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

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

107 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph

108 is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in

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

110 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment

111 by the Legislature.

112 f. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,

113 and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant

114 state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide

115 prosecutors , or current state attorney’s office or Office of

116 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff ; the names, home

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

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

119 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide

120 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors , or current

121 state attorney’s office or Office of Statewide Prosecution

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

123 and day care facilities attended by the children of current or

124 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide

125 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors , or current

126 state attorney’s office or Office of Statewide Prosecution

127 nonlegal support staff are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.

128 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph

129 is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in

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

131 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment

132 by the Legislature.

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

134 numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of

135 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division

136 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement

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

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

139 children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of

140 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division

141 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement

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

143 care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,

144 special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,

145 administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative

146 Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are

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

148 Constitution.

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

150 and photographs of current or former human resource, labor

151 relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,

152 managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency

153 or water management district whose duties include hiring and

154 firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or

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

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

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

158 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

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

160 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

162 and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;

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

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

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

166 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

168 Constitution.

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

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

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

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

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

174 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

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

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

178 and photographs of current or former juvenile probation

179 officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention

180 superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile

181 justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention

182 officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,

183 juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,

184 juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor

185 supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior

186 human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation

187 therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of

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

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

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

191 day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel

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

193 Constitution.

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

195 and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant

196 public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,

197 and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the

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

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

200 former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal

201 conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal

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

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

204 current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders,

205 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant

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

207 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

209 and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors

210 of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the

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

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

213 or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and

214 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

215 children of such current or former investigators and inspectors

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

217 Constitution.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

226 and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department

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

228 or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability

229 benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed

230 against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health

231 care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the

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

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

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

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

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

237 the State Constitution.

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

239 and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner

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

241 employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties

242 result in a determination of a person’s skill and safety to

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

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

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

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

247 attended by the children of such consultants or employees are

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

249 Constitution.

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

251 and photographs of current or former emergency medical

252 technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the

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

254 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

255 emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and

256 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

257 children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are

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

259 Constitution.

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

261 and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an

262 agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit

263 department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,

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

265 could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;

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

267 and places of employment of spouses and children of such

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

269 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

271 Constitution.

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

273 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,

274 supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction

275 treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,

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

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

278 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

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

280 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this

281 sub-subparagraph, the term “addiction treatment facility” means

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

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

284 intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed

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

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

287 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,

288 supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center

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

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

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

292 include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual

293 abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation

294 or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case

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

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

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

298 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

300 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

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

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

304 90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the

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

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

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

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

309 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

311 Constitution.

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

313 and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators

314 of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the

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

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

317 former inspectors or investigators; and the names and locations

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

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

320 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This

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

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

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

324 reenactment by the Legislature.

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

326 and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county

327 attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant

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

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

330 places of employment of the spouses and children of current

331 county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county

332 attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy

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

334 care facilities attended by the children of current county

335 attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys,

336 city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city

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

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

339 county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county

340 attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city

341 attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public

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

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

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

345 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

347 and photographs of current or former commissioners of the

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

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

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

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

352 care facilities attended by the children of such current or

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

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

355 subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance

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

357 unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the

358 Legislature.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

366 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

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

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

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

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

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

373 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

375 (A) “Congressional member” means a person who is elected to

376 serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives

377 or is elected or appointed to serve as a member of the United

378 States Senate.

379 (B) “Partial home address” means the dwelling location at

380 which an individual resides and includes the physical address,

381 mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,

382 plot identification number, legal property description,

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

384 descriptive property information that may reveal the partial

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

386 (C) “Public officer” means a person who holds one of the

387 following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief

388 Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,

389 state representative, state senator, property appraiser,

390 supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board

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

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

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

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

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

396 (B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional member

397 or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.

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

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

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

401 care facility attended by the minor child.

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

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

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

405 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

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

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

409 subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that

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

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

412 written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption

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

414 statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and

415 confirm the individual’s status as a party eligible for exempt

416 status.

417 b. An agency that is the custodian of information specified

418 in sub-subparagraph 2.z. and that is not the employer of the

419 congressional member, public officer, or other person specified

420 in sub-subparagraph 2.z. must maintain the exempt status of that

421 information only if an individual requests the maintenance of an

422 exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. on the basis of

423 eligibility as a current congressional member or public officer

424 and his or her spouse or child submits, as part of the written

425 and notarized request required by sub-subparagraph a., the date

426 of the congressional member’s or public officer’s election or

427 appointment to public office, the date on which that office is

428 next subject to election, and, if applicable, the date on which

429 the current congressional member’s or public officer’s minor

430 child reaches the age of majority. The custodian must maintain

431 an exemption granted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. until the

432 qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the

433 person subject to the exemption.

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

435 192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.

436 192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for

437 maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must

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

439 and the instrument number or Official Records book and page

440 number identifying the property with the exempt status from all

441 publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser

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

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

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

445 2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may

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

447 information identifying real property within the agency’s

448 records so long as a name or personal information otherwise

449 exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is

450 not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the

451 public records of the agency.

452 b. Any information restricted from public display,

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

454 provided to the individual whose information was removed.

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

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

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

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

459 specify the information to be released and the party authorized

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

461 the custodial agency must release the specified information to

462 the party authorized to receive such information.

463 6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information

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

465 exemption.

466 7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be

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

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

469 624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as

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

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

472 with The Florida Bar.

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

474 Official Records is maintained only during the period when a

475 protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon

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

477 real property no longer constitutes a protected party’s home

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

479 must submit a written request to release the removed information

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

481 removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a

482 protected party’s request for release is pursuant to a

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

484 Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk’s

485 file number for each document containing the information to be

486 released.

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

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

489 can request the county recorder to release a protected

490 decedent’s removed information unless there is a related request

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

492 decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise

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

494 release the removed information upon the death of a protected

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

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

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

498 specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument

499 number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the

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

501 release of any document pursuant to such request.

502 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section

503 744.21031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

504 744.21031 Public records exemption.—

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

506 (c) “Telephone numbers” has the same meaning as provided in

507 s. 119.071(4)(d)1.d ~~s. 119.071(4)(d)1.c~~ .

508 Section 3. The Legislature finds that it is a public

509 necessity that the home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone

510 numbers of current state attorney’s office and Office of

511 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff; the names, home

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

513 employment of the spouses and children of such nonlegal support

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

515 facilities attended by the children of such nonlegal support

516 staff be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s.

517 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Such personal

518 identifying and location information can be used as a tool to

519 perpetrate fraud against an individual or to acquire sensitive

520 personal, financial, medical, and familial information, the

521 release of which could cause great financial harm to the

522 individual. Current state attorney’s office and Office of

523 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff, in the course of

524 their employment, may assist in the review of criminal

525 prosecution cases; assist assistant state attorneys and

526 assistant statewide prosecutors; maintain contact with victims,

527 witnesses, criminal defense attorneys, judicial assistants, and

528 law enforcement; and possess and handle sensitive criminal

529 justice information and personal identifiable information, such

530 as biometric data, identity history data, biographic data,

531 property data, and case or incident history data, under strict

532 security protocols. Such nonlegal support staff may incur the

533 ill will of litigants, the accused, the convicted, and their

534 associates and families, thus making nonlegal support staff and

535 their spouses and children targets for acts of revenge. If such

536 identifying and location information is released, the safety of

537 current nonlegal support staff and their spouses and children

538 could be jeopardized. For these reasons, the Legislature finds

539 that it is a public necessity that such information be made

540 exempt from public records requirements.

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