Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1488
       
       
        
       By Senator Stargel
       
       
       
       
       
       22-00943-21                                           20211488__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         119.071, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for certain identifying and
    5         location information of current members of the
    6         Legislature and the Cabinet, and the children and
    7         spouses of such legislators and officers; providing
    8         for retroactive application; amending s. 119.10, F.S.;
    9         creating a criminal penalty for any person who
   10         knowingly and maliciously publishes or disseminates
   11         protected identifying information with the intent to
   12         intimidate, hinder, or interrupt current legislators
   13         and officers; providing that a violation results in a
   14         first degree misdemeanor; providing a statement of
   15         public necessity; providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section
   20  119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   21         119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of
   22  public records.—
   23         (4) AGENCY PERSONNEL INFORMATION.—
   24         (d)1. For purposes of this paragraph, the term:
   25         a. “Home addresses” means the dwelling location at which an
   26  individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing
   27  address, street address, parcel identification number, plot
   28  identification number, legal property description, neighborhood
   29  name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other descriptive
   30  property information that may reveal the home address.
   31         b. “Telephone numbers” includes home telephone numbers,
   32  personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone
   33  numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal
   34  communications devices.
   35         2.a. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   36  and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement
   37  personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by
   38  a law enforcement agency, including correctional and
   39  correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of
   40  Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of
   41  abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, theft, or other criminal
   42  activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties
   43  are to support the investigation of child abuse or neglect, and
   44  personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments
   45  whose responsibilities include revenue collection and
   46  enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home
   47  addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
   48  places of employment of the spouses and children of such
   49  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
   50  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
   51  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   52  Constitution.
   53         b. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   54  and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
   55  personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties
   56  include the investigation of fraud, theft, workers’ compensation
   57  coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal
   58  activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the
   59  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
   60  places of employment of the spouses and children of such
   61  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
   62  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
   63  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   64  Constitution.
   65         c. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   66  and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
   67  personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of
   68  Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation
   69  of fraud, theft, other related criminal activities, or state
   70  regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,
   71  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
   72  the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
   73  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
   74  children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
   75  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   76         d. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   77  and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in
   78  compliance with s. 633.408; the names, home addresses, telephone
   79  numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment
   80  of the spouses and children of such firefighters; and the names
   81  and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
   82  children of such firefighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
   83  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   84         e. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
   85  numbers of current or former justices of the Supreme Court,
   86  district court of appeal judges, circuit court judges, and
   87  county court judges; the names, home addresses, telephone
   88  numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses
   89  and children of current or former justices and judges; and the
   90  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
   91  by the children of current or former justices and judges are
   92  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   93  Constitution.
   94         f. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   95  and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant
   96  state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide
   97  prosecutors; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
   98  photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
   99  spouses and children of current or former state attorneys,
  100  assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant
  101  statewide prosecutors; and the names and locations of schools
  102  and day care facilities attended by the children of current or
  103  former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide
  104  prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors are exempt from
  105  s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  106         g. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
  107  numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
  108  compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
  109  of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
  110  hearing officers; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  111  dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and
  112  children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
  113  compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
  114  of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
  115  hearing officers; and the names and locations of schools and day
  116  care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,
  117  special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,
  118  administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative
  119  Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are
  120  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  121  Constitution.
  122         h. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  123  and photographs of current or former human resource, labor
  124  relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,
  125  managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency
  126  or water management district whose duties include hiring and
  127  firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or
  128  other personnel-related duties; the names, home addresses,
  129  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  130  the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
  131  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  132  children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
  133  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  134         i. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  135  and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;
  136  the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  137  and places of employment of the spouses and children of such
  138  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
  139  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
  140  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  141  Constitution.
  142         j. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
  143  employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
  144  guardians ad litem, as defined in s. 39.820; the names, home
  145  addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
  146  employment of the spouses and children of such persons; and the
  147  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
  148  by the children of such persons are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
  149  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  150         k. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  151  and photographs of current or former juvenile probation
  152  officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention
  153  superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile
  154  justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention
  155  officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,
  156  juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,
  157  juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor
  158  supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior
  159  human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation
  160  therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of
  161  Juvenile Justice; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  162  dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children
  163  of such personnel; and the names and locations of schools and
  164  day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel
  165  are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  166  Constitution.
  167         l. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  168  and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant
  169  public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,
  170  and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the
  171  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  172  places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
  173  former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal
  174  conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal
  175  conflict and civil regional counsel; and the names and locations
  176  of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
  177  current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders,
  178  criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant
  179  criminal conflict and civil regional counsel are exempt from s.
  180  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  181         m. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  182  and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors
  183  of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the
  184  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  185  places of employment of the spouses and children of such current
  186  or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and
  187  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  188  children of such current or former investigators and inspectors
  189  are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  190  Constitution.
  191         n. The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of
  192  birth of county tax collectors; the names, home addresses,
  193  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  194  the spouses and children of such tax collectors; and the names
  195  and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  196  children of such tax collectors are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
  197  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  198         o. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  199  and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department
  200  of Health whose duties include, or result in, the determination
  201  or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability
  202  benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed
  203  against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health
  204  care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the
  205  Department of Health; the names, home addresses, telephone
  206  numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses
  207  and children of such personnel; and the names and locations of
  208  schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such
  209  personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
  210  the State Constitution.
  211         p. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  212  and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner
  213  consultants who are retained by an agency or current or former
  214  employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties
  215  result in a determination of a person’s skill and safety to
  216  practice a licensed profession; the names, home addresses,
  217  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  218  the spouses and children of such consultants or their employees;
  219  and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities
  220  attended by the children of such consultants or employees are
  221  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  222  Constitution.
  223         q. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  224  and photographs of current or former emergency medical
  225  technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the
  226  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  227  places of employment of the spouses and children of such
  228  emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and
  229  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  230  children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are
  231  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  232  Constitution.
  233         r. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  234  and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an
  235  agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit
  236  department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,
  237  fraud, abuse, theft, exploitation, or other activities that
  238  could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;
  239  the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  240  and places of employment of spouses and children of such
  241  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
  242  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
  243  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  244  Constitution.
  245         s. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  246  and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
  247  supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction
  248  treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,
  249  photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
  250  spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
  251  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  252  children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
  253  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this
  254  sub-subparagraph, the term “addiction treatment facility” means
  255  a county government, or agency thereof, that is licensed
  256  pursuant to s. 397.401 and provides substance abuse prevention,
  257  intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed
  258  service component described in s. 397.311(26).
  259         t. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  260  and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
  261  supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center
  262  that meets the standards of s. 39.3035(1) and fulfills the
  263  screening requirement of s. 39.3035(2), and the members of a
  264  Child Protection Team as described in s. 39.303 whose duties
  265  include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual
  266  abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation
  267  or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case
  268  review team; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  269  photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
  270  spouses and children of such personnel and members; and the
  271  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
  272  by the children of such personnel and members are exempt from s.
  273  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  274         u. The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of
  275  birth of current members of the Senate, members of the House of
  276  Representatives, and Cabinet officers; the names, home
  277  addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
  278  employment of the spouses and children of current legislators
  279  and Cabinet officers; and the names and locations of schools and
  280  day care facilities attended by the children of current
  281  legislators and Cabinet officers are exempt from s. 119.07(1)
  282  and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  283         3. An agency that is the custodian of the information
  284  specified in subparagraph 2. and that is not the employer of the
  285  officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in
  286  subparagraph 2. shall maintain the exempt status of that
  287  information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other
  288  person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a
  289  written request for maintenance of the exemption to the
  290  custodial agency.
  291         4. An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other
  292  person specified in subparagraph 2. may submit a written request
  293  for the release of his or her exempt information to the
  294  custodial agency. The written request must be notarized and must
  295  specify the information to be released and the party that is
  296  authorized to receive the information. Upon receipt of the
  297  written request, the custodial agency shall release the
  298  specified information to the party authorized to receive such
  299  information.
  300         5. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information
  301  held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the
  302  exemption.
  303         6. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset
  304  Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
  305  on October 2, 2024, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
  306  through reenactment by the Legislature.
  307         Section 2. Subsection (3) is added to section 119.10,
  308  Florida Statutes, to read:
  309         119.10 Violation of chapter; penalties.—
  310         (3) Any person who knowingly and, with the intent to
  311  intimidate, hinder, or interrupt current members of the Senate,
  312  members of the House of Representatives, and Cabinet officers in
  313  the legal performance of their duties, maliciously publishes or
  314  disseminates information protected from disclosure by s.
  315  119.071(1)(u) without the express authorization of such
  316  legislators and officers shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the
  317  first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
  318  775.083.
  319         Section 3. The Legislature finds that it is a public
  320  necessity that the home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates
  321  of birth of current members of the Senate and the House of
  322  Representatives and Cabinet officers; the names, home addresses,
  323  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  324  the spouses and children of such legislators and officers; and
  325  the names and locations of schools and day care facilities
  326  attended by the children of such legislators and officers be
  327  made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
  328  Article I of the State Constitution. Members of the Legislature
  329  and the Cabinet are often confronted with making difficult and
  330  impactful policy decisions. As a result, legislators and Cabinet
  331  officers and their family members may receive threats,
  332  including, but not limited to, verbal threats, harassment, and
  333  intimidation, as a result of carrying out their official duties.
  334  Vulnerability to such threats may discourage residents of this
  335  state from seeking elected office in order to protect themselves
  336  and their families. Moreover, the Legislature finds that a
  337  criminal penalty is necessary for any person who attempts to
  338  interfere with the legislators’ or officers’ official duties.
  339  The Legislature further finds that the harm that may result from
  340  the release of such personal identifying and location
  341  information outweighs any public benefit that may be derived
  342  from the disclosure of the information.
  343         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.