House Bill hb0477

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 477

        By Representative Hogan






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records; amending s.

  3         383.51, F.S.; providing an exemption from

  4         public records requirements for information

  5         that identifies parents who leave newborn

  6         infants at emergency medical services stations;

  7         providing an exception; providing for future

  8         review and repeal; providing a finding of

  9         public necessity; providing a contingent

10         effective date.

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

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14         Section 1.  Section 383.51, Florida Statutes, is

15  amended to read:

16         383.51  Confidentiality; identification of parent

17  leaving newborn infant at hospital or fire station.--The

18  identity of a parent who leaves a newborn infant at a

19  hospital, emergency medical services station, or a fire

20  station in accordance with s. 383.50 is confidential and

21  exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art.

22  I of the State Constitution. The identity of a parent leaving

23  a child shall be disclosed to a person claiming to be a parent

24  of the newborn infant. This section is subject to the Open

25  Government Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15,

26  and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2005, unless reviewed

27  and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

28         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that the preservation

29  of anonymity and confidentiality of parents who leave newborn

30  infants at emergency medical services stations is a public

31  necessity in order to encourage parents to leave infants

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 477

    768-103-01






  1  safely and thus protect the life and health of those infants.

  2  The Legislature further finds that the public policy provided

  3  for in the creation of s. 383.50, Florida Statutes, will be

  4  served if the anonymity of parents who leave newborns at

  5  emergency medical services stations is maintained.

  6         Section 3.  This act shall take effect on the same date

  7  that HB ____ or similar legislation takes effect if such

  8  legislation is adopted in the same legislative session and

  9  becomes law.

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12                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Provides an exemption from public records requirements
14    for information that identifies parents who leave newborn
      infants at emergency medical services stations. Provides
15    for disclosure of such information to a person claiming
      to be a parent of the newborn infant. Provides for future
16    review and repeal.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.