SB 292 full text · Session Watch

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 292 By Senator Rouson 16-00400A-26 2026292__

1 A bill to be entitled

2 An act relating to public records; amending s.

3 119.071, F.S.; defining the term “appellate court

4 clerk”; providing an exemption from public records

5 requirements for the personal identifying and location

6 information of current appellate court clerks and the

7 spouses and children of such appellate court clerks;

8 providing for future legislative review and repeal of

9 the exemption; providing for retroactive application;

10 amending s. 744.21031, F.S.; conforming a cross

11 reference; providing a statement of public necessity;

12 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. “Appellate court clerk” means a person appointed as a

23 clerk of the Florida Supreme Court pursuant to s. 3(c), Art. V

24 of the State Constitution, a person appointed as a clerk of a

25 district court of appeal pursuant to s. 4(c), Art. V of the

26 State Constitution, or a court employee assigned to the 2610 or

27 2620 class code.

28 b. “Home addresses” means the dwelling location at which an

29 individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing

30 address, street address, parcel identification number, plot

31 identification number, legal property description, neighborhood

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

33 property information that may reveal the home address.

34 c. b. “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned

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

36 d. c. “Telephone numbers” includes home telephone numbers,

37 personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone

38 numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal

39 communications devices.

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

41 and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement

42 personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by

43 a law enforcement agency, including correctional and

44 correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of

45 Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of

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

47 activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties

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

49 personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments

50 whose responsibilities include revenue collection and

51 enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home

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

53 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

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

55 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

57 Constitution.

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

59 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative

60 personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties

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

62 coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal

63 activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the

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

65 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

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

67 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

69 Constitution.

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

71 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative

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

73 Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation

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

75 regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,

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

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

78 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

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

80 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

82 and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

92 county court judges , and of current judicial assistants and

93 appellate court clerks ; the names, home addresses, telephone

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

95 and children of current or former justices and judges and of

96 current judicial assistants and appellate court clerks ; and the

97 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

99 current judicial assistants and appellate court clerks are

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

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

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

103 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031 ~~2028~~ , unless reviewed

104 and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

106 and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant

107 state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide

108 prosecutors; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,

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

110 spouses and children of current or former state attorneys,

111 assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant

112 statewide prosecutors; and the names and locations of schools

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

114 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide

115 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors are exempt from

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

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

118 numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of

119 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division

120 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement

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

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

123 children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of

124 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division

125 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement

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

127 care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,

128 special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,

129 administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative

130 Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are

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

132 Constitution.

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

134 and photographs of current or former human resource, labor

135 relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,

136 managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency

137 or water management district whose duties include hiring and

138 firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or

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

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

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

142 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

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

144 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

146 and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;

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

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

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

150 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

152 Constitution.

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

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

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

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

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

158 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

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

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

162 and photographs of current or former juvenile probation

163 officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention

164 superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile

165 justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention

166 officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,

167 juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,

168 juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor

169 supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior

170 human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation

171 therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of

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

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

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

175 day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel

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

177 Constitution.

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

179 and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant

180 public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,

181 and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the

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

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

184 former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal

185 conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal

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

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

188 current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders,

189 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant

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

191 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

193 and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors

194 of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the

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

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

197 or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and

198 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

199 children of such current or former investigators and inspectors

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

201 Constitution.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

210 and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department

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

212 or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability

213 benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed

214 against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health

215 care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the

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

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

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

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

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

221 the State Constitution.

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

223 and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner

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

225 employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties

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

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

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

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

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

231 attended by the children of such consultants or employees are

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

233 Constitution.

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

235 and photographs of current or former emergency medical

236 technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the

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

238 places of employment of the spouses and children of such

239 emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and

240 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

241 children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are

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

243 Constitution.

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

245 and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an

246 agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit

247 department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,

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

249 could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;

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

251 and places of employment of spouses and children of such

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

253 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

255 Constitution.

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

257 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,

258 supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction

259 treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,

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

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

262 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the

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

264 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this

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

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

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

268 intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed

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

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

271 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,

272 supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center

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

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

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

276 include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual

277 abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation

278 or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case

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

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

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

282 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

284 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.

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

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

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

288 90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the

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

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

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

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

293 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt

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

295 Constitution.

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

297 and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators

298 of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the

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

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

301 former inspectors or investigators; and the names and locations

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

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

304 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This

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

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

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

308 reenactment by the Legislature.

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

310 and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county

311 attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant

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

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

314 places of employment of the spouses and children of current

315 county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county

316 attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy

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

318 care facilities attended by the children of current county

319 attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys,

320 city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city

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

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

323 county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county

324 attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city

325 attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public

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

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

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

329 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

331 and photographs of current or former commissioners of the

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

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

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

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

336 care facilities attended by the children of such current or

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

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

339 subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance

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

341 unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the

342 Legislature.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

350 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended

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

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

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

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

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

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

357 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

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

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

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

362 States Senate.

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

364 which an individual resides and includes the physical address,

365 mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,

366 plot identification number, legal property description,

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

368 descriptive property information that may reveal the partial

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

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

371 following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief

372 Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,

373 state representative, state senator, property appraiser,

374 supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

385 care facility attended by the minor child.

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

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

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

389 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

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

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

393 subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that

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

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

396 written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption

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

398 statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and

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

400 status.

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

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

403 congressional member, public officer, or other person specified

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

405 information only if an individual requests the maintenance of an

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

407 eligibility as a current congressional member or public officer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

416 qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the

417 person subject to the exemption.

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

419 192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.

420 192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for

421 maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must

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

423 and the instrument number or Official Records book and page

424 number identifying the property with the exempt status from all

425 publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser

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

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

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

429 2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may

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

431 information identifying real property within the agency’s

432 records so long as a name or personal information otherwise

433 exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is

434 not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the

435 public records of the agency.

436 b. Any information restricted from public display,

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

438 provided to the individual whose information was removed.

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

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

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

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

443 specify the information to be released and the party authorized

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

445 the custodial agency must release the specified information to

446 the party authorized to receive such information.

447 6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information

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

449 exemption.

450 7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be

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

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

453 624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as

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

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

456 with The Florida Bar.

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

458 Official Records is maintained only during the period when a

459 protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon

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

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

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

463 must submit a written request to release the removed information

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

465 removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a

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

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

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

469 file number for each document containing the information to be

470 released.

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

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

473 can request the county recorder to release a protected

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

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

476 decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise

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

478 release the removed information upon the death of a protected

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

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

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

482 specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument

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

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

485 release of any document pursuant to such request.

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

487 744.21031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

488 744.21031 Public records exemption.—

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

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

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

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

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

494 numbers of current appellate court clerks; the names, home

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

496 employment of the spouses and children of such appellate court

497 clerks; and the names and locations of schools and day care

498 facilities attended by children of such appellate court clerks

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

500 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. While performing

501 their duties to issue court orders, maintain case dockets,

502 answer telephone calls, respond to correspondence, and interact

503 with visitors to the courthouse, appellate court clerks may

504 incur the ill will of litigants and their associates and

505 families. As a result, current appellate court clerks and their

506 spouses and children may be targets for acts of revenge. If such

507 identifying and location information is released, the safety of

508 current appellate court clerks and their spouses and children

509 could be seriously jeopardized. For this reason, the Legislature

510 finds that it is a public necessity that such information be

511 made exempt from public records requirements.

512 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.