CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Senate Bill 0108
    Florida Senate - 1998                                   SB 108

    By Senator Hargrett





    21-88-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records requirements;

  3         amending s. 409.175, F.S., exempting from s.

  4         119.07(1), F.S., and from s. 24(a), Art. I of

  5         the State Constitution certain information

  6         contained in files that pertain to the

  7         licensure of family foster homes, residential

  8         child-caring agencies, and child-placing

  9         agencies; providing for repeal and for

10         legislative review of the exemption; providing

11         a rationale for the exemption; providing an

12         effective date.

13

14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

15

16         Section 1.  Subsection (15) is added to section

17  409.175, Florida Statutes, to read:

18         409.175  Licensure of family foster homes, residential

19  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies.--

20         (15) The following information contained in the

21  licensing file is exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1)

22  and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution unless

23  otherwise ordered by the court: the home, business, work,

24  childcare, or school addresses, floor plan of the home,

25  telephone numbers, social security numbers, birthdates,

26  identifying information in neighbor references, and

27  photographs of persons who are licensed under this section to

28  be family foster parents and of their spouses, their minor

29  children, and other adult household members, as well as

30  identifying information in similar sensitive, personal

31  information that is provided to the department by the foster

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                   SB 108
    21-88-98




  1  parents, their spouses, their children, or other household

  2  members. This provision applies to all individuals who were

  3  foster parents and became adoptive parents. This subsection

  4  shall stand repealed October 2, 2003, unless reviewed and

  5  saved from repeal by the Legislature.

  6         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that exempting from

  7  public records requirements personal information concerning

  8  persons who are licensed under section 409.175, Florida

  9  Statutes, to be family foster parents and their spouses,

10  children, and other adult household members would reduce the

11  risk that other individuals including parents or relatives

12  could threaten, harass, or cause physical harm or other injury

13  to foster children or their foster families. The Legislature

14  finds that the availability to the public of personal and

15  sensitive background information lessens the willingness of

16  prospective caregivers to reveal sensitive information that is

17  necessary in assessing the abilities of foster parents and

18  making appropriate placements for children. The Legislature

19  further finds that the availability to the public of such

20  information has a negative effect on the recruitment and

21  retention of foster parents.

22         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

23  law.

24

25            *****************************************

26                          SENATE SUMMARY

27    Provides an exemption from public records requirements
      for personal information concerning persons who are
28    licensed under s. 409.175, F.S., to be family foster
      parents and their spouses, children, and other adult
29    household members.

30

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