SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 76

Public Records and Meetings/Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact
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SPONSOR
Harrell
FILED BY
Gayle Harrell — District 31, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
On the same date that SB 74 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes a law
DIED IN
Health Policy

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Public Records and Meetings/Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for certain information held by the Department of Health or the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling pursuant to the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; providing an exemption from public meetings requirements for certain meetings or portions of certain meetings of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission or its executive committee or other committees; providing an exemption from public records requirements for recordings, minutes, and records generated during the exempt meetings or portions of such meetings; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemptions; providing statements of public necessity, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Shields social workers' personal data shared under a licensing compact.

If Florida joins the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, a social worker's personal information shared through the compact's multistate database becomes exempt from Florida's public records law, except a worker's name, license status, and license number.

Meetings of the compact's governing commission can be closed to the public when they discuss information exempt from disclosure under federal or state law, and the recordings and minutes from those closed sessions also stay confidential.

These exemptions only take effect if a separate bill creating the compact itself also passes this session. The exemptions automatically expire in October 2031 unless the Legislature reviews and renews them.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Exempts a social worker's compact-shared personal data from public records majors. 491.023

AIA social worker's personal identifying information obtained through the compact's shared data system is exempt from Florida's public records law, unless the state that originally reported it authorizes disclosure under that state's own law.

“A social worker's personal identifying information, other than the social worker's name, licensure status, or licensure number, obtained from the data system” bill text, line 28 →
§ 2 Lets the compact commission close meetings on legally exempt matters majors. 491.023

AIA meeting or portion of a meeting of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission, or its executive or other committees, is exempt from Florida's open-meetings law when it discusses matters exempt from disclosure under federal or state law.

“at which matters specifically exempted from disclosure by federal or state law are discussed is exempt from s. 286.011” bill text, line 41 →
§ 3 Exempts records of closed commission meetings from public records law moderates. 491.023

AIRecordings, minutes, and records created during an exempt commission meeting are themselves exempt from Florida's public records law, keeping the substance of closed sessions confidential afterward.

“Recordings, minutes, and records generated during an exempt meeting or portion of such a meeting are exempt from s. 119.07(1)” bill text, line 44 →
§ 4 Sets an automatic 2031 repeal for both exemptions technicals. 491.023

AIBoth exemptions are subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act and automatically expire on October 2, 2031, unless the Legislature reviews and reenacts them before then.

“shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature” bill text, line 48 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Health Policy
1/13/2026
Introduced
10/6/2025
Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Committee on Health and...
9/24/2025
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 491.023
+235 / −0