SESSION WATCH
THE BILL ITSELF

SB 466

Public Records/Legal Assistants/Office of the Public Defender/Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel

VERSION S 466 Filed · BACK TO THE SUMMARY · OFFICIAL RECORD

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 466 By Senator Wright 8-00565-26 2026466__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public records; amending s.
3 119.071, F.S.; defining the term “legal assistant”;
4 providing an exemption from public records
5 requirements for the home addresses, telephone
6 numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current
7 legal assistants employed by the office of the public
8 defender and the office of criminal conflict and civil
9 regional counsel and the personal identifying and
10 location information of the spouses and children of
11 such legal assistants; providing for future
12 legislative review and repeal of the exemption;
13 providing for retroactive application of the
14 exemption; providing a statement of public necessity;
15 amending s. 744.21031, F.S.; conforming a cross
16 reference; providing an effective date.
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section
21 119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
22 119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of
23 public records.—
24 (4) AGENCY PERSONNEL INFORMATION.—
25 (d)1. For purposes of this paragraph, the term:
26 a. “Home addresses” means the dwelling location at which an
27 individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing
28 address, street address, parcel identification number, plot
29 identification number, legal property description, neighborhood
30 name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other descriptive
31 property information that may reveal the home address.
32 b. “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to
33 the following class codes: 8140, 8150, 8310, and 8320.
34 c. “Legal assistant” means any employee of the office of
35 the public defender or the office of criminal conflict and civil
36 regional counsel other than a public defender, an assistant
37 public defender, a criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,
38 or an assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel.
39 d. c. “Telephone numbers” includes home telephone numbers,
40 personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone
41 numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal
42 communications devices.
43 2.a. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
44 and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement
45 personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by
46 a law enforcement agency, including correctional and
47 correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of
48 Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of
49 abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, theft, or other criminal
50 activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties
51 are to support the investigation of child abuse or neglect, and
52 personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments
53 whose responsibilities include revenue collection and
54 enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home
55 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
56 places of employment of the spouses and children of such
57 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
58 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
59 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
60 Constitution.
61 b. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
62 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
63 personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties
64 include the investigation of fraud, theft, workers’ compensation
65 coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal
66 activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the
67 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
68 places of employment of the spouses and children of such
69 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
70 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
71 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
72 Constitution.
73 c. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
74 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
75 personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of
76 Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation
77 of fraud, theft, other related criminal activities, or state
78 regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,
79 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
80 the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
81 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
82 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
83 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
84 d. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
85 and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in
86 compliance with s. 633.408; the names, home addresses, telephone
87 numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment
88 of the spouses and children of such firefighters; and the names
89 and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
90 children of such firefighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
91 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
92 e. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
93 numbers of current or former justices of the Supreme Court,
94 district court of appeal judges, circuit court judges, and
95 county court judges and current judicial assistants; the names,
96 home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
97 employment of the spouses and children of current or former
98 justices and judges and current judicial assistants; and the
99 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
100 by the children of current or former justices and judges and of
101 current judicial assistants are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
102 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph
103 is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in
104 accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2,
105 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment
106 by the Legislature.
107 f. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
108 and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant
109 state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide
110 prosecutors; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
111 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
112 spouses and children of current or former state attorneys,
113 assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant
114 statewide prosecutors; and the names and locations of schools
115 and day care facilities attended by the children of current or
116 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide
117 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors are exempt from
118 s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
119 g. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
120 numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
121 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
122 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
123 hearing officers; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
124 dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and
125 children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
126 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
127 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
128 hearing officers; and the names and locations of schools and day
129 care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,
130 special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,
131 administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative
132 Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are
133 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
134 Constitution.
135 h. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
136 and photographs of current or former human resource, labor
137 relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,
138 managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency
139 or water management district whose duties include hiring and
140 firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or
141 other personnel-related duties; the names, home addresses,
142 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
143 the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
144 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
145 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
146 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
147 i. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
148 and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;
149 the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
150 and places of employment of the spouses and children of such
151 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
152 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
153 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
154 Constitution.
155 j. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
156 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
157 guardians ad litem, as defined in s. 39.01; the names, home
158 addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
159 employment of the spouses and children of such persons; and the
160 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
161 by the children of such persons are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
162 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
163 k. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
164 and photographs of current or former juvenile probation
165 officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention
166 superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile
167 justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention
168 officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,
169 juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,
170 juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor
171 supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior
172 human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation
173 therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of
174 Juvenile Justice; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
175 dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children
176 of such personnel; and the names and locations of schools and
177 day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel
178 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
179 Constitution.
180 l. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
181 and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant
182 public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,
183 and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel , and
184 current legal assistants ; the names, home addresses, telephone
185 numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses
186 and children of current or former public defenders, assistant
187 public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,
188 and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel , and
189 current legal assistants ; and the names and locations of schools
190 and day care facilities attended by the children of current or
191 former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal
192 conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal
193 conflict and civil regional counsel , and current legal
194 assistants are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
195 the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the
196 Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
197 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and
198 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
199 m. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
200 and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors
201 of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the
202 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
203 places of employment of the spouses and children of such current
204 or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and
205 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
206 children of such current or former investigators and inspectors
207 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
208 Constitution.
209 n. The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of
210 birth of county tax collectors; the names, home addresses,
211 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
212 the spouses and children of such tax collectors; and the names
213 and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
214 children of such tax collectors are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
215 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
216 o. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
217 and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department
218 of Health whose duties include, or result in, the determination
219 or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability
220 benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed
221 against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health
222 care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the
223 Department of Health; the names, home addresses, telephone
224 numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses
225 and children of such personnel; and the names and locations of
226 schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such
227 personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
228 the State Constitution.
229 p. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
230 and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner
231 consultants who are retained by an agency or current or former
232 employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties
233 result in a determination of a person’s skill and safety to
234 practice a licensed profession; the names, home addresses,
235 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
236 the spouses and children of such consultants or their employees;
237 and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities
238 attended by the children of such consultants or employees are
239 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
240 Constitution.
241 q. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
242 and photographs of current or former emergency medical
243 technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the
244 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
245 places of employment of the spouses and children of such
246 emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and
247 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
248 children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are
249 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
250 Constitution.
251 r. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
252 and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an
253 agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit
254 department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,
255 fraud, abuse, theft, exploitation, or other activities that
256 could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;
257 the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
258 and places of employment of spouses and children of such
259 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
260 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
261 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
262 Constitution.
263 s. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
264 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
265 supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction
266 treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,
267 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
268 spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
269 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
270 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
271 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this
272 sub-subparagraph, the term “addiction treatment facility” means
273 a county government, or agency thereof, that is licensed
274 pursuant to s. 397.401 and provides substance abuse prevention,
275 intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed
276 service component described in s. 397.311(27).
277 t. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
278 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
279 supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center
280 that meets the standards of s. 39.3035(2) and fulfills the
281 screening requirement of s. 39.3035(3), and the members of a
282 Child Protection Team as described in s. 39.303 whose duties
283 include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual
284 abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation
285 or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case
286 review team; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
287 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
288 spouses and children of such personnel and members; and the
289 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
290 by the children of such personnel and members are exempt from s.
291 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
292 u. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
293 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
294 staff and domestic violence advocates, as defined in s.
295 90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the
296 Department of Children and Families under chapter 39; the names,
297 home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates
298 of birth, and photographs of the spouses and children of such
299 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
300 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
301 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
302 Constitution.
303 v. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
304 and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators
305 of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the
306 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
307 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
308 former inspectors or investigators; and the names and locations
309 of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
310 current or former inspectors or investigators are exempt from s.
311 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This
312 sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review
313 Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on
314 October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
315 reenactment by the Legislature.
316 w. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
317 and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county
318 attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant
319 city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys; the names, home
320 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
321 places of employment of the spouses and children of current
322 county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county
323 attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy
324 city attorneys; and the names and locations of schools and day
325 care facilities attended by the children of current county
326 attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys,
327 city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city
328 attorneys are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
329 the State Constitution. This exemption does not apply to a
330 county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county
331 attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city
332 attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public
333 office. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government
334 Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
335 repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from
336 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
337 x. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
338 and photographs of current or former commissioners of the
339 Florida Gaming Control Commission; the names, home addresses,
340 telephone numbers, dates of birth, photographs, and places of
341 employment of the spouses and children of such current or former
342 commissioners; and the names and locations of schools and day
343 care facilities attended by the children of such current or
344 former commissioners are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),
345 Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is
346 subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance
347 with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029,
348 unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
349 Legislature.
350 y. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
351 and photographs of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy
352 clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court
353 personnel; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates
354 of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children
355 of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the
356 circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel; and the
357 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
358 by the children of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy
359 clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court
360 personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
361 the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the
362 Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
363 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and
364 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
365 z.(I) As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term:
366 (A) “Congressional member” means a person who is elected to
367 serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives
368 or is elected or appointed to serve as a member of the United
369 States Senate.
370 (B) “Partial home address” means the dwelling location at
371 which an individual resides and includes the physical address,
372 mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,
373 plot identification number, legal property description,
374 neighborhood name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other
375 descriptive property information that may reveal the partial
376 home address, except for the city and zip code.
377 (C) “Public officer” means a person who holds one of the
378 following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief
379 Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,
380 state representative, state senator, property appraiser,
381 supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board
382 member, mayor, city commissioner, or county commissioner.
383 (II) The following information is exempt from s. 119.07(1)
384 and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
385 (A) The partial home addresses of a current congressional
386 member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
387 (B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional member
388 or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
389 (C) The name, home addresses, telephone numbers, and date
390 of birth of a minor child of a current congressional member or
391 public officer and the name and location of the school or day
392 care facility attended by the minor child.
393 (III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open
394 Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and
395 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and
396 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
397 3.a. An agency that is the custodian of the information
398 specified in subparagraph 2. and that is not the employer of the
399 officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in
400 subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that
401 information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other
402 person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a
403 written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption
404 to the custodial agency. The request must state under oath the
405 statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and
406 confirm the individual’s status as a party eligible for exempt
407 status.
408 b. An agency that is the custodian of information specified
409 in sub-subparagraph 2.z. and that is not the employer of the
410 congressional member, public officer, or other person specified
411 in sub-subparagraph 2.z. must maintain the exempt status of that
412 information only if an individual requests the maintenance of an
413 exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. on the basis of
414 eligibility as a current congressional member or public officer
415 and his or her spouse or child submits, as part of the written
416 and notarized request required by sub-subparagraph a., the date
417 of the congressional member’s or public officer’s election or
418 appointment to public office, the date on which that office is
419 next subject to election, and, if applicable, the date on which
420 the current congressional member’s or public officer’s minor
421 child reaches the age of majority. The custodian must maintain
422 an exemption granted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. until the
423 qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the
424 person subject to the exemption.
425 4.a. A county property appraiser, as defined in s.
426 192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.
427 192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for
428 maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must
429 comply by removing the name of the individual with exempt status
430 and the instrument number or Official Records book and page
431 number identifying the property with the exempt status from all
432 publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser
433 or tax collector. For written requests received on or before
434 July 1, 2021, a county property appraiser or county tax
435 collector must comply with this sub-subparagraph by October 1,
436 2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may
437 not remove the street address, legal description, or other
438 information identifying real property within the agency’s
439 records so long as a name or personal information otherwise
440 exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is
441 not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the
442 public records of the agency.
443 b. Any information restricted from public display,
444 inspection, or copying under sub-subparagraph a. must be
445 provided to the individual whose information was removed.
446 5. An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other
447 person specified in subparagraph 2. may submit a written request
448 for the release of his or her exempt information to the
449 custodial agency. The written request must be notarized and must
450 specify the information to be released and the party authorized
451 to receive the information. Upon receipt of the written request,
452 the custodial agency must release the specified information to
453 the party authorized to receive such information.
454 6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information
455 held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the
456 exemption.
457 7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be
458 disclosed pursuant to s. 28.2221 to a title insurer authorized
459 pursuant to s. 624.401 and its affiliates as defined in s.
460 624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as
461 defined in s. 626.841(1) or (2), respectively; or an attorney
462 duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing
463 with The Florida Bar.
464 8. The exempt status of a home address contained in the
465 Official Records is maintained only during the period when a
466 protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon
467 conveyance of real property after October 1, 2021, and when such
468 real property no longer constitutes a protected party’s home
469 address as defined in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the protected party
470 must submit a written request to release the removed information
471 to the county recorder. The written request to release the
472 removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a
473 protected party’s request for release is pursuant to a
474 conveyance of his or her dwelling location, and must specify the
475 Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk’s
476 file number for each document containing the information to be
477 released.
478 9. Upon the death of a protected party as verified by a
479 certified copy of a death certificate or court order, any party
480 can request the county recorder to release a protected
481 decedent’s removed information unless there is a related request
482 on file with the county recorder for continued removal of the
483 decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise
484 prohibited by statute or by court order. The written request to
485 release the removed information upon the death of a protected
486 party must attach the certified copy of a death certificate or
487 court order and must be notarized, must confirm the request for
488 release is due to the death of a protected party, and must
489 specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument
490 number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the
491 information to be released. A fee may not be charged for the
492 release of any document pursuant to such request.
493 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
494 necessity that the home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of
495 birth, and places of employment of current legal assistants
496 employed by the office of the public defender and the office of
497 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the names, home
498 addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
499 employment of the spouses and children of current legal
500 assistants employed by the office of the public defender and the
501 office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; and the
502 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
503 by the children of current legal assistants employed by the
504 office of the public defender and the office of criminal
505 conflict and civil regional counsel be made exempt from s.
506 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the
507 State Constitution. While performing the duties of scheduling
508 meetings with criminal defendants, answering telephone calls,
509 responding to correspondence, and interacting in person with
510 criminal defendants, legal assistants may incur the ill will of
511 defendants and their associates and families. As a result, legal
512 assistants and their families may be targets for acts of
513 revenge. If such identifying and location information is
514 released, the safety of legal assistants and their families
515 could be seriously jeopardized. For this reason, the Legislature
516 finds that it is a public necessity that such identifying and
517 location information be made exempt from public records
518 requirements. The Legislature further finds that the harm that
519 may result from the release of such identifying and location
520 information outweighs any public benefit that may be derived
521 from the disclosure of the information.
522 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
523 744.21031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
524 744.21031 Public records exemption.—
525 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
526 (c) “Telephone numbers” has the same meaning as provided in
527 s. 119.071(4)(d)1.d. s. 119.071(4)(d)1.c.
528 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.