SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 258

Public Records/Medical Examiners
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SPONSOR
Burgess
FILED BY
Danny Burgess — District 23, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
Upon becoming a law
DIED IN
Health Policy

Filed under Local Government.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Public Records/Medical Examiners ; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for the personal identifying and location information of current and former medical examiners and the spouses and children of such medical examiners; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing for retroactive application; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Exempts personal information of medical examiners, their staff, and families from disclosure.

A new public records exemption shields the home addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and photographs of current and former medical examiners from disclosure under Florida's public records law and constitution.

The definition of medical examiner explicitly reaches any employee, deputy, or agent working for a district, associate, or substitute examiner, not only the examiner personally.

Spouses and children of these examiners get the same protection for their names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and workplaces, plus the schools and day cares their children attend, though not photographs.

This exemption takes effect immediately once the bill is signed into law, rather than waiting for a later date, and it automatically expires October 2, 2031 absent reenactment.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Defines 'medical examiner' to include employees, deputies, and agents majors. 119.071

AIThe exemption covers district, associate, and substitute medical examiners acting under chapter 406, and explicitly extends to any employee, deputy, or agent working for such an examiner, not just the examiner personally.

“any employee, deputy, or agent of such a medical examiner” bill text, line 385 →
§ 2 Exempts personal and location data of medical examiners majors. 119.071

AIHome addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and photographs of current and former medical examiners are removed from public records access and from the state constitutional right of access.

“The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former medical examiners” bill text, line 33 →
§ 3 Extends protection to spouses and children, but not their photos moderates. 119.071

AISpouses and children of these examiners get the same protection for their names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and places of employment, but the list does not include photographs of family members.

“the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current or former medical examiners” bill text, line 56 →
§ 4 Sets the new exemption to expire in 2031 absent reenactment technicals. 119.071

AILike other entries on this list, the medical examiner exemption automatically sunsets in five years unless the Legislature reviews it and votes to keep it in force.

“shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature” bill text, line 397 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Health Policy
1/13/2026
Introduced
11/3/2025
Referred to Health Policy; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Rules
10/22/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 119.071
+150 / −0