HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 543

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
                                   .
                                   .
  1                                .
                                   .
  2                                .
                                   .
  3                                .
                                   .
  4  ______________________________________________________________

  5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

  6

  7

  8

  9

10  ______________________________________________________________

11  The Committee on State Administration offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14  Remove everything after the enacting clause

15

16  and insert:

17         Section 1.  Subsection (8) is added to section 717.117,

18  Florida Statutes, to read:

19         717.117  Report of unclaimed property.--

20         (8)  Social security numbers and financial account

21  numbers contained in reports required under this section, held

22  by the Department of Banking and Finance, are confidential and

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

24  Constitution. Notwithstanding this exemption, social security

25  numbers shall be released, for the limited purpose of locating

26  owners of abandoned or unclaimed property, to an attorney,

27  Florida-certified public accountant, private investigator who

28  is duly licensed in this state, or a private investigative

29  agency licensed under chapter 493 and registered with the

30  Department of Banking and Finance under chapter 717.  This

31  exemption applies to social security numbers and financial

                                  1

    File original & 9 copies    01/25/02
    hsa0005                     07:05 am         00543-sa  -350297




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 543

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  account numbers held by the Department of Banking and Finance

  2  before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption.

  3  This subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset

  4  Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15, and shall

  5  stand repealed October 2, 2007, unless reviewed and saved from

  6  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

  7         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that it is a public

  8  necessity that social security numbers and financial account

  9  numbers of apparent owners of abandoned or unclaimed property

10  which are in the custody of the Department of Banking and

11  Finance be made confidential and exempt in order to prevent

12  identity theft and related crimes. The Legislature further

13  finds that this exemption is a public necessity in order to

14  prevent the use of such information in forged documents

15  demonstrating entitlement to abandoned or unclaimed property

16  and thereby defrauding the rightful property owner or the

17  State School Fund. Additionally, the social security number is

18  the only nationwide, unique numeric form of identification.

19  Release of a person's social security number is of concern due

20  to the amount of information such number can provide on an

21  individual.  A social security number is often the link to an

22  individual's personal records, whether such records are

23  financial, educational, medical, or familial in nature. It is

24  necessary, however, to provide access to social security

25  numbers to an attorney, Florida-certified public accountant,

26  private investigator duly licensed in this state, or private

27  investigative agencies that are licensed under chapter 493,

28  Florida Statutes and registered with the Department of Banking

29  and Finance in order to facilitate the location and return of

30  unclaimed property to rightful owners. The Legislature further

31  finds that attorneys, Florida-certified public accountants,

                                  2

    File original & 9 copies    01/25/02
    hsa0005                     07:05 am         00543-sa  -350297




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 543

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  private investigators, and private investigative agencies are

  2  subject to more stringent regulation and oversight than the

  3  public as a whole. In addition, such professionals are the

  4  only persons authorized to file claims on behalf of apparent

  5  owners of abandoned or unclaimed property pursuant to chapter

  6  717, Florida Statutes.

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

  8  law.

  9

10

11  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

12  And the title is amended as follows:

13         On page 1, lines 2 through 12,

14  remove:  all of said lines

15

16  and insert:

17         An act relating to public records; amending s.

18         717.117, F.S.; creating an exemption from

19         public records requirements for social security

20         numbers and financial account numbers contained

21         in reports required under s. 717.117, F.S.,

22         held by the Department of Banking and Finance;

23         providing exceptions to the exemption;

24         providing retroactive application of the

25         exemption; providing for future review and

26         repeal; providing a statement of public

27         necessity;

28

29

30

31

                                  3

    File original & 9 copies    01/25/02
    hsa0005                     07:05 am         00543-sa  -350297