Florida Senate - 2023                                    SB 1210
       
       
        
       By Senator Burgess
       
       
       
       
       
       23-00234-23                                           20231210__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         943.0583, F.S.; expanding an existing public records
    4         exemption relating to human trafficking victims
    5         seeking expunction of certain records related to an
    6         offense listed in s. 775.084(1)(b)1., F.S.; providing
    7         for future review and repeal of the expanded
    8         exemption; providing for the reversion of specified
    9         provisions if the exemption is not saved from repeal;
   10         providing that a petition for human trafficking victim
   11         expunction and all pleadings and documents related to
   12         the petition are confidential and exempt from public
   13         records requirements; providing for future legislative
   14         review and repeal of the exemption; providing a
   15         statement of public necessity; providing an effective
   16         date.
   17  
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 943.0583, Florida
   21  Statutes, is amended, subsection (12) is added to that section,
   22  and subsections (10) and (11) of that section are republished,
   23  to read:
   24         943.0583 Human trafficking victim expunction.—
   25         (3)(a) A person who is a victim of human trafficking may
   26  petition for the expunction of a criminal history record
   27  resulting from the arrest or filing of charges for one or more
   28  offenses committed or reported to have been committed while the
   29  person was a victim of human trafficking, which offense was
   30  committed or reported to have been committed as a part of the
   31  human trafficking scheme of which the person was a victim or at
   32  the direction of an operator of the scheme, including, but not
   33  limited to, violations under chapters 796 and 847, without
   34  regard to the disposition of the arrest or of any charges.
   35         (b)However, This section does not apply to any offense
   36  listed in s. 775.084(1)(b)1. if the defendant was found guilty
   37  of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, any such offense.
   38         (c) Determination of the petition under this section should
   39  be by a preponderance of the evidence. A conviction expunged
   40  under this section is deemed to have been vacated due to a
   41  substantive defect in the underlying criminal proceedings. If a
   42  person is adjudicated not guilty by reason of insanity or is
   43  found to be incompetent to stand trial for any such charge, the
   44  expunction of the criminal history record may not prevent the
   45  entry of the judgment or finding in state and national databases
   46  for use in determining eligibility to purchase or possess a
   47  firearm or to carry a concealed firearm, as authorized in s.
   48  790.065(2)(a)4.c. and 18 U.S.C. s. 922(t), nor shall it prevent
   49  any governmental agency that is authorized by state or federal
   50  law to determine eligibility to purchase or possess a firearm or
   51  to carry a concealed firearm from accessing or using the record
   52  of the judgment or finding in the course of such agency’s
   53  official duties.
   54         (d) The expansion of the public records exemption in
   55  paragraph (b) to allow for the expunction of certain criminal
   56  history records related to an offense listed in s.
   57  775.084(1)(b)1. is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review
   58  Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on
   59  October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
   60  reenactment by the Legislature. If the expansion of the
   61  exemption is not saved from repeal, this subsection shall revert
   62  to that in existence on June 30, 2023, except that any
   63  amendments to this subsection other than by this act shall be
   64  preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such
   65  amendments are not dependent upon the portions of this
   66  subsection which expire pursuant to this paragraph.
   67         (10)(a) A criminal history record ordered expunged under
   68  this section that is retained by the department is confidential
   69  and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   70  Constitution, except that the record shall be made available:
   71         1. To criminal justice agencies for their respective
   72  criminal justice purposes.
   73         2. To any governmental agency that is authorized by state
   74  or federal law to determine eligibility to purchase or possess a
   75  firearm or to carry a concealed firearm for use in the course of
   76  such agency’s official duties.
   77         3. Upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
   78         (b) A criminal justice agency may retain a notation
   79  indicating compliance with an order to expunge.
   80         (11)(a) The following criminal intelligence information or
   81  criminal investigative information is confidential and exempt
   82  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   83  Constitution:
   84         1. Any information that reveals the identity of a person
   85  who is a victim of human trafficking whose criminal history
   86  record has been expunged under this section.
   87         2. Any information that may reveal the identity of a person
   88  who is a victim of human trafficking whose criminal history
   89  record has been ordered expunged under this section.
   90         (b) Criminal investigative information and criminal
   91  intelligence information made confidential and exempt under this
   92  subsection may be disclosed by a law enforcement agency:
   93         1. In the furtherance of its official duties and
   94  responsibilities.
   95         2. For print, publication, or broadcast if the law
   96  enforcement agency determines that such release would assist in
   97  locating or identifying a person that the agency believes to be
   98  missing or endangered. The information provided should be
   99  limited to that needed to identify or locate the victim.
  100         3. To another governmental agency in the furtherance of its
  101  official duties and responsibilities.
  102         (c) This exemption applies to such confidential and exempt
  103  criminal intelligence information or criminal investigative
  104  information held by a law enforcement agency before, on, or
  105  after the effective date of the exemption.
  106         (12)(a)A petition filed pursuant to this section and all
  107  pleadings and documents related to the petition are confidential
  108  and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  109  Constitution.
  110         (b)This subsection is subject to the Open Government
  111  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
  112  repealed on October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from
  113  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
  114         Section 2. The Legislature finds it is a public necessity
  115  that criminal history records of human trafficking victims
  116  related to any offense listed in s. 775.084(1)(b)1., Florida
  117  Statutes, which offense was dismissed or nolle prosequi by the
  118  state attorney or statewide prosecutor or dismissed by a court
  119  of competent jurisdiction, or for which a judgment of acquittal
  120  was rendered by a judge or a verdict of not guilty was rendered
  121  by a judge or jury, and the records of which are ordered to be
  122  expunged under s. 943.0583, Florida Statutes, be made
  123  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and
  124  s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Further, the
  125  Legislature finds that it is a public necessity that a petition
  126  filed under s. 943.0583, Florida Statutes, and all pleadings and
  127  documents related to the petition be made confidential and
  128  exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
  129  Article I of the State Constitution. Persons who are victims of
  130  human trafficking and who have been arrested, charged, or
  131  convicted of crimes committed at the behest of their traffickers
  132  are themselves victims of crimes. These victims face barriers to
  133  employment and loss of other life opportunities, and the fact
  134  that they are seeking expungement, as well as the information
  135  contained in related pleadings and documents, would expose these
  136  petitioners to possible discrimination due to details of their
  137  past lives becoming public knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary
  138  that such specified criminal history records, even though such
  139  records are related to certain serious offenses, and such
  140  petitions, pleadings, and related documents be made confidential
  141  and exempt in order for human trafficking victims to have the
  142  chance to rebuild their lives and reenter society.
  143         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.