THE BILL ITSELF
SB 1162
Public Records/Office of the Corrections Ombudsman and the Corrections Oversight Committee
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1162 By Senator Rodriguez 40-01594-26 20261162__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to public records; amending s. 11.92,
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F.S.; providing a public records exemption for
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correspondence and communications with the Office of
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the Corrections Ombudsman and the Corrections
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Oversight Committee; providing a statement of public
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necessity; providing a contingent effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsections (8) through (10) of section 11.92,
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Florida Statutes, as created by SB ____, 2026 Regular Session,
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are renumbered as subsections (9) through (11), respectively,
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and a new subsection (8) is added to that section, to read:
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11.92 Office of the Corrections Ombudsman.—
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(8) Correspondence and communications between incarcerated
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persons or the public and the office, the Ombudsman, the members
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of the committee, and office staff are confidential and exempt
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from s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
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Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
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necessity that correspondence and communications with the Office
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of the Corrections Ombudsman and the Corrections Oversight
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Committee be made confidential and exempt from s. 24(a), Article
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I of the State Constitution. Public disclosure of such
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correspondence and communications could jeopardize the safety of
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incarcerated persons. It is essential to the functioning of the
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office that incarcerated persons and the public feel free to
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communicate with the office concerning conditions in and
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operations of correctional facilities. The public records
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exemption is necessary to protect incarcerated persons from
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retaliation by correctional officers who are under investigation
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as a result of communications with the office.
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Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
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SB ___ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
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is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
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thereof and becomes a law.