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The Florida Senate

2017 Florida Statutes

Title XIX PUBLIC BUSINESS
Chapter 288 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Entire Chapter
SECTION 9627
Exemptions from public records and public meetings requirements for the Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research.
F.S. 288.9627
288.9627 Exemptions from public records and public meetings requirements for the Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research” or “institute” means the institute established by s. 288.9625.
(b)1. “Proprietary confidential business information” means information that has been designated by the proprietor when provided to the institute as information that is owned or controlled by a proprietor; that is intended to be and is treated by the proprietor as private, the disclosure of which would harm the business operations of the proprietor and has not been intentionally disclosed by the proprietor unless pursuant to a private agreement that provides that the information will not be released to the public except as required by law or legal process, or pursuant to law or an order of a court or administrative body; and that concerns:
a. Trade secrets as defined in s. 688.002.
b. Financial statements and internal or external auditor reports of a proprietor corporation, partnership, or person requesting confidentiality under this statute, unless publicly released by the proprietor.
c. Meeting materials related to financial, operating, investment, or marketing information of the proprietor corporation, partnership, or person.
d. Information concerning private investors in the proprietor corporation, partnership, or person.
2. “Proprietary confidential business information” does not include:
a. The identity and primary address of the proprietor’s principals.
b. The dollar amount and date of the financial commitment or contribution made by the institute.
c. The dollar amount, on a fiscal-year-end basis, of cash repayments or other fungible distributions received by the institute from each proprietor.
d. The dollar amount, if any, of the total management fees and costs paid on an annual fiscal-year-end basis by the institute.
(c) “Proprietor” means a corporation, partnership, or person that has applied for or received assistance, financial or otherwise, from the institute and that controls or owns the proprietary confidential business information.
(2) PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION.—
(a) The following records held by the institute are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
1. Materials that relate to methods of manufacture or production, potential trade secrets, or patentable material received, generated, ascertained, or discovered during the course of research or through research projects conducted by universities and other publicly supported organizations in this state and that are provided to the institute by a proprietor.
2. Information that would identify an investor or potential investor who desires to remain anonymous in projects reviewed by the institute for assistance.
3. Any information received from a person from another state or nation or the Federal Government which is otherwise confidential or exempt pursuant to the laws of that state or nation or pursuant to federal law.
4. Proprietary confidential business information for 7 years after the termination of the institute’s financial commitment to the company.
(b) At the time any record made confidential and exempt by this subsection, or portion thereof, is legally available or subject to public disclosure for any other reason, that record, or portion thereof, shall no longer be confidential and exempt and shall be made available for inspection and copying.
(3) PUBLIC MEETINGS EXEMPTION.—
(a) That portion of a meeting of the institute’s board of directors at which information is discussed which is confidential and exempt under subsection (2) is exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(b) Any exempt portion of a meeting shall be recorded and transcribed. The board of directors shall record the times of commencement and termination of the meeting, all discussion and proceedings, the names of all persons present at any time, and the names of all persons speaking. An exempt portion of any meeting may not be off the record.
(c) A transcript and minutes of exempt portions of meetings are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(4) REQUEST TO INSPECT OR COPY A RECORD.—
(a) Records made confidential and exempt by this section may be released, upon written request, to a governmental entity in the performance of its official duties and responsibilities.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2)(a), a request to inspect or copy a public record that contains proprietary confidential business information shall be granted if the proprietor of the information fails, within a reasonable period of time after the request is received by the institute, to verify the following to the institute through a written declaration in the manner provided by s. 92.525:
1. That the requested record contains proprietary confidential business information and the specific location of such information within the record;
2. If the proprietary confidential business information is a trade secret, a verification that it is a trade secret as defined in s. 688.002;
3. That the proprietary confidential business information is intended to be and is treated by the proprietor as private, is the subject of efforts of the proprietor to maintain its privacy, and is not readily ascertainable or publicly available from any other source; and
4. That the disclosure of the proprietary confidential business information to the public would harm the business operations of the proprietor.
(c)1. Any person may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for an order for the public release of those portions of any record made confidential and exempt by subsection (2).
2. Any action under this subsection must be brought in Palm Beach County or Alachua County, and the petition or other initial pleading shall be served on the institute and, if determinable upon diligent inquiry, on the proprietor of the information sought to be released.
3. In any order for the public release of a record under this subsection, the court shall make a finding that:
a. The record or portion thereof is not a trade secret as defined in s. 688.002;
b. A compelling public interest is served by the release of the record or portions thereof which exceed the public necessity for maintaining the confidentiality of such record; and
c. The release of the record will not cause damage to or adversely affect the interests of the proprietor of the released information, other private persons or business entities, or the institute.
(5) PENALTIES.—Any person who willfully and knowingly violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2012-223.