No. HB 821
Filed under Public Health & Safety.
Pub. Rec./Autopsy Reports of Sudden and Expected Deaths; Creates exemption from public records requirements for autopsy reports of certain sudden & unexpected deaths; specifies circumstances under which such autopsy reports & certain information contained therein may be disclosed; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides statement of public necessity.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDAn autopsy report for an infant or child who dies suddenly and unexpectedly, or for anyone whose death is suspected to be Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, becomes confidential and exempt from Florida's public records law and constitutional right of access.
Only the deceased's surviving parents and adult siblings may view or copy the report. The Department of Health can receive a copy for epidemiological tracking and must keep it confidential once it does.
Health information from the report can also go to a public health authority under federal HIPAA rules, and deidentified, aggregated data can go to national research institutions studying these deaths.
The exemption automatically expires October 2, 2031 unless the Legislature reenacts it after review. It only takes effect if a related bill, HB 819, also becomes law in the same session.
AIAn autopsy report for an infant or child who dies suddenly and unexpectedly, or for a person of any age whose death is suspected to be SADS, becomes confidential and exempt from Florida's public records law and the constitutional right of access to public records.
AIThe exemption is not limited to infants or children. It also covers the autopsy report of a person of any age whose death is merely suspected, not necessarily confirmed, to have been caused by Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.
AIThe Department of Health can request and receive an otherwise-confidential autopsy report to perform its epidemiological research and disease-tracking duties, and it must keep that report confidential and exempt once it has it.
AIInformation in the report, including personal health information, can be submitted to a public health authority under the federal rules governing public health disclosures, separately from the Department of Health exception.
AIData extracted from these autopsy reports can be released to national research institutions for epidemiological research and tracking, but only after it has been deidentified and reduced to aggregate form.
AILike other Florida public-records exemptions, this one is automatically reviewed and repealed on October 2, 2031, unless the Legislature specifically reenacts it after that review.