Senate Bill sb1480c1

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1480

    By the Committee on Banking and Insurance; and Senator Clary





    311-2026A-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records; creating s.

  3         627.3111, F.S.; creating a public records

  4         exemption for bank account numbers, debit,

  5         charge, and credit card numbers, medical

  6         records, and personal identifying information

  7         contained in personal financial and health

  8         records held by the Department of Insurance;

  9         providing for exceptions to the exemption;

10         providing for retroactive application;

11         providing for future review and repeal;

12         providing a finding of public necessity;

13         providing an effective date.

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

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17         Section 1.  Section 627.3111, Florida Statutes, is

18  created to read:

19         627.3111  Public records exemption.--All bank account

20  numbers and debit, charge, and credit card numbers; medical

21  records; and personal identifying information, other than name

22  and address, contained in records that disclose personal

23  financial or health information held by the Department of

24  Insurance, or its service providers, are confidential and

25  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

26  Constitution. This exemption applies to information and

27  records made confidential and exempt by this section held by

28  the Department of Insurance or its service providers before,

29  on, or after the effective date of this exemption. Such

30  confidential and exempt information and records may be

31  disclosed to another governmental entity, if disclosure is

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1480
    311-2026A-02




  1  necessary for the receiving entity to perform its duties and

  2  responsibilities, and may be disclosed to the National

  3  Association of Insurance Commissioners. The receiving

  4  governmental entity and the association must maintain the

  5  confidential and exempt status of such information and

  6  records.  The information and records made confidential and

  7  exempt by this section may be used in a criminal, civil, or

  8  administrative proceeding so long as the confidential and

  9  exempt status of the information and records is maintained.

10  This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review

11  Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand

12  repealed on October 2, 2007, unless reviewed and saved from

13  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

14         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that the public

15  records exemption created by this act is a public necessity in

16  order to protect an individual's sensitive, personal

17  information. Disclosure of bank account numbers and debit,

18  charge, and credit card numbers would create the opportunity

19  for theft or fraud, thereby jeopardizing the financial

20  security of an individual.  Limiting the disclosure of

21  personal identifying information contained in records that

22  disclose personal financial information held by the Department

23  of Insurance or its service providers is also necessary in

24  order to protect the financial interests of those persons to

25  whom that information pertains. Such numbers and information

26  could be used for fraudulent and other illegal purposes,

27  including identity theft, and could result in substantial

28  financial harm.  Furthermore, every person has an expectation

29  of and a right to privacy in all matters concerning his or her

30  personal financial matters.  The Legislature further finds

31  that it is a public necessity that medical records and

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1480
    311-2026A-02




  1  personal identifying information contained in records that

  2  disclose personal health information be made confidential and

  3  exempt because matters of personal health are traditionally

  4  private and confidential concerns between the patient and the

  5  health care provider.  The private and confidential nature of

  6  personal health matters pervades both the public and private

  7  health care sectors.  Moreover, public disclosure of medical

  8  information could have a negative effect upon a person's

  9  business and personal relationships, and could also have

10  detrimental financial consequences.

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

12  law.

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14          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
15                         Senate Bill 1480

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17  Specifies that a public records exemption would be created for
    personal identifying information, other than the name and
18  address, contained in records that disclose personal financial
    or health information held by the Department of Insurance.
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