Florida Senate - 2017                                    SB 1560
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       32-01237-17                                           20171560__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         119.071, F.S.; expanding the exemption from public
    4         records requirements for any information in a
    5         videotaped statement of a minor who is alleged to be
    6         or who is a victim of sexual battery, lewd acts, or
    7         other sexual misconduct; providing for future review
    8         and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of
    9         public necessity; providing a contingent effective
   10         date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (j) of subsection (2) of section
   15  119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of
   17  public records.—
   18         (2) AGENCY INVESTIGATIONS.—
   19         (j)1. Any document that reveals the identity, home or
   20  employment telephone number, home or employment address, or
   21  personal assets of the victim of a crime and identifies that
   22  person as the victim of a crime, which document is received by
   23  any agency that regularly receives information from or
   24  concerning the victims of crime, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
   25  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Any information not
   26  otherwise held confidential or exempt from s. 119.07(1) which
   27  reveals the home or employment telephone number, home or
   28  employment address, or personal assets of a person who has been
   29  the victim of sexual battery, aggravated child abuse, aggravated
   30  stalking, harassment, aggravated battery, or domestic violence
   31  is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   32  Constitution, upon written request by the victim, which must
   33  include official verification that an applicable crime has
   34  occurred. Such information shall cease to be exempt 5 years
   35  after the receipt of the written request. Any state or federal
   36  agency that is authorized to have access to such documents by
   37  any provision of law shall be granted such access in the
   38  furtherance of such agency’s statutory duties, notwithstanding
   39  this section.
   40         2.a. Any information in a videotaped statement of a minor
   41  who is alleged to be or who is a victim of sexual battery, lewd
   42  acts, or other sexual misconduct proscribed in chapter 800 or in
   43  s. 794.011, s. 847.003, s. 827.071, s. 847.012, s. 847.0125, s.
   44  847.013, s. 847.0133, s. 847.0137, or s. 847.0145, which reveals
   45  that minor’s identity, including, but not limited to, the
   46  minor’s face; the minor’s home, school, church, or employment
   47  telephone number; the minor’s home, school, church, or
   48  employment address; the name of the minor’s school, church, or
   49  place of employment; or the personal assets of the minor; and
   50  which identifies that minor as the victim of a crime described
   51  in this subparagraph, held by a law enforcement agency, is
   52  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I
   53  of the State Constitution. Any governmental agency that is
   54  authorized to have access to such statements by any provision of
   55  law shall be granted such access in the furtherance of the
   56  agency’s statutory duties, notwithstanding the provisions of
   57  this section.
   58         b. A public employee or officer who has access to a
   59  videotaped statement of a minor who is alleged to be or who is a
   60  victim of sexual battery, lewd acts, or other sexual misconduct
   61  proscribed in chapter 800 or in s. 794.011, s. 847.003, s.
   62  827.071, s. 847.012, s. 847.0125, s. 847.013, s. 847.0133, s.
   63  847.0137, or s. 847.0145 may not willfully and knowingly
   64  disclose videotaped information that reveals the minor’s
   65  identity to a person who is not assisting in the investigation
   66  or prosecution of the alleged offense or to any person other
   67  than the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or a person
   68  specified in an order entered by the court having jurisdiction
   69  of the alleged offense. A person who violates this provision
   70  commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as
   71  provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
   72         c.This subparagraph is subject to the Open Government
   73  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
   74  repealed on October 2, 2022, unless reviewed and saved from
   75  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   76         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   77  necessity that any information in a videotaped statement of a
   78  minor who is alleged to be or who is a victim of sexual battery,
   79  lewd acts, or other sexual misconduct as proscribed by s.
   80  847.003 or s. 847.0137, Florida Statutes, be made confidential
   81  and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
   82  Article I of the State Constitution. The Legislature finds that
   83  such information is highly sensitive and shows the minor victim
   84  describing in graphic detail sexual acts for which the minor is
   85  alleged to be or is a victim. If such information regarding a
   86  minor victim of sex crimes were viewed, copied, or publicized,
   87  it could result in trauma, sorrow, humiliation, or emotional
   88  injury to the minor victim and the victim’s family. The
   89  Legislature finds that it is important to strengthen the
   90  protections afforded minor victims of sex crimes in order to
   91  ensure their privacy and to prevent their revictimization. This
   92  exemption serves to minimize the trauma to those minor victims
   93  because the release of such information would compound the
   94  tragedy already visited upon their lives. For these reasons, the
   95  Legislature finds that it is a public necessity to make
   96  confidential and exempt any information in a videotaped
   97  statement of a minor who is alleged to be or who is a victim of
   98  sexual battery, lewd acts, or other sexual misconduct as
   99  proscribed by s. 847.003 or s. 847.0137, Florida Statutes.
  100         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
  101  SB ____ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
  102  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
  103  thereof and becomes a law.