House Bill hb0131B

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001               HB 131-B

        By Representatives Gelber, Harrell, Green, Ball and
    Bullard





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records; amending s.

  3         119.07, F.S.; authorizing a delay in inspection

  4         or copying of a public record under limited

  5         circumstances; establishing procedures and

  6         standards; limiting the applicability of the

  7         provision; providing a statement of public

  8         necessity; providing an effective date.

  9

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

11

12         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section

13  119.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

14         119.07  Inspection, examination, and duplication of

15  records; exemptions.--

16         (3)

17         (b)1.  Active criminal intelligence information and

18  active criminal investigative information are exempt from the

19  provisions of subsection (1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

20  Constitution.

21         2.a.  Except for an arrest record or a record of first

22  appearance, upon the request of the Florida Department of Law

23  Enforcement which meets the requirements of this section, an

24  agency that is the custodian of a public record shall delay

25  the inspection or copying of that public record for up to 48

26  hours if the executive director of the department or his or

27  her designee certifies in writing:

28         (I)  The specific public record for which inspection or

29  copying is to be delayed;

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  1         (II)  That the record is necessary for an investigation

  2  related to the threat of an act of terrorism as defined in s.

  3  775.30;

  4         (III)  That the specified public record is part of

  5  active criminal intelligence information or active criminal

  6  investigative information related to the threatened act of

  7  terrorism;

  8         (IV)  That inspection or copying of the specified

  9  public record would jeopardize the ability of law enforcement

10  to prevent or reduce the threat of an act of terrorism;

11         (V)  The specific time period during which inspection

12  or copying is to be delayed; and

13         (VI)  That the request is made pursuant to this

14  paragraph.

15         b.  The agency to which the request is made may not

16  permit the specified public record to be inspected or copied,

17  nor may it release the public record specifically requested in

18  any form or as part of a more comprehensive request for

19  information during the period specified for delay, unless that

20  record is an arrest record or a record of first appearance,

21  which is not to exceed 48 hours except as otherwise provided

22  in this subparagraph.

23         c.  If, before the expiration of the period specified

24  for delay or the expiration of the 48-hour period, whichever

25  applies, a request to inspect or copy that public record is

26  received and, upon the refusal of the custodian to release the

27  record, an action is filed to inspect or copy the record, the

28  provisions of sub-subparagraph e. and s. 119.11 apply.

29         d.  In order to extend the period during which

30  inspection and copying of a public record is delayed, the

31  state law enforcement agency must apply to the court for an

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  1  extension before the expiration of the period specified for

  2  delay or the 48-hour period, whichever applies.

  3         e.  Upon a review of the request in camera, the court

  4  may extend the period during which inspection and copying of a

  5  public record may be delayed for an additional 14 days if the

  6  law enforcement agency establishes by substantial competent

  7  evidence that:

  8         (I)  There is a viable threat of an act of terror;

  9         (II)  The public record identified by the law

10  enforcement agency constitutes active criminal intelligence

11  information or active criminal investigative information

12  related to that threatened act of terrorism;

13         (III)  Inspection or copying of the specified public

14  record would jeopardize the ability of law enforcement to

15  prevent or reduce the threatened act of terrorism; and

16         (IV)  The law enforcement agency has complied with the

17  requirements of sub-subparagraph a.

18

19  Upon making such a determination, the court may order the

20  custodial agency to delay inspection or copying of the public

21  record until the expiration of the 14 days. This subparagraph

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

23  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

24         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that delay in the

25  ability to inspect or copy a public record provided by this

26  act is a public necessity because of the great potential for

27  harm to the public which exists in this era as a result of

28  terrorism. An act of terrorism may come in an entirely unusual

29  form and terrorists may use unexpected and unconventional

30  methods. The potential for acts of terror performed in

31  unthinkable ways was made amply evident by the events of

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  1  September 11, 2001. Individuals who resided, worked, and

  2  attended flying school in this state commandeered planes,

  3  murdered those on board who attempted to stop them, and then

  4  intentionally crashed those planes into the Pentagon and the

  5  World Trade Center, completely destroying the two main towers

  6  and surrounding structures. These acts of terror resulted in

  7  the deaths of approximately 6,000 persons. In addition, since

  8  that date, spores of anthrax have been purposefully

  9  distributed by persons yet unknown in Washington, D.C., other

10  states, and communities within this state, in order to spread

11  disease and cause death. As of this date, at least one

12  Floridian has died because of anthrax, and other Floridians

13  are being treated for the illness. Prior to these events,

14  these methods of spreading destruction, death, and mayhem were

15  unthinkable. The Legislature notes that, given the willingness

16  of terrorists to die in the performance of acts of terror, it

17  may not be able to foresee the manner or method in which an

18  act of terrorism might be performed or the public information

19  that could be used to facilitate or plan it. The Legislature,

20  therefore, cannot foresee every public record that it must

21  make confidential pursuant to its authority under s. 24(a),

22  Art. I of the State Constitution, in order to stop acts of

23  terrorism. Given the capabilities of modern day terrorists, as

24  evidenced by the acts of September 11, 2001, and the potential

25  that even more serious acts of terrorism could be perpetrated,

26  the Legislature explicitly finds that state law enforcement

27  investigations of acts of terrorism are of the highest

28  priority and that there may be instances, which are yet

29  unknown and unidentifiable, when the ability to inspect or

30  copy a public record could jeopardize such an investigation by

31  making the subjects of such investigations aware that an

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  1  investigation is active. If it is discovered that an act of

  2  terrorism is being investigated, the perpetrators may speed up

  3  the timetable for the performance of the activity, as well as

  4  flee, destroy evidence, or evade prosecution. As the danger

  5  posed to the public is so extreme, and as it may become

  6  imperative at times to temporarily delay access to specified

  7  public records in order to prevent the imminent commission of

  8  an act of terrorism, the Legislature finds that the procedures

  9  provided in this act to temporarily delay inspection or

10  copying of specific public records that are part of an

11  investigation into a potential act of terrorism are reasonable

12  and in the best interests of the safety of the public. As a

13  result, the Legislature finds that there is substantial

14  justification and public necessity for permitting the head of

15  a law enforcement agency to request a delay in the inspection

16  or copying of a public record under the limited circumstances

17  and procedures set forth in this act.

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

19  law.

20

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22                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

23
      Authorizes a delay in inspection or copying of a public
24    record under limited circumstances. Establishes
      procedures and standards. Limits the applicability of the
25    provision.

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