HB 0011 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to public records; providing an exemption
3	from public records requirements for information contained
4	in the paternity registry maintained by the Department of
5	Children and Family Services; providing for future
6	legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing
7	a finding of public necessity; providing a contingent
8	effective date.
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10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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12	Section 1.All information contained in the paternity
13	registry created by s. 63.165, Florida Statutes, is exempt from
14	public disclosure pursuant to s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes,
15	and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, except that
16	certificates attesting to the results of a search of the
17	paternity registry pursuant to s. 63.165(2)(f), Florida
18	Statutes, may be disclosed as provided in s. 63.165(2)(f),
19	Florida Statutes. This section is subject to the Open
20	Government Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s.
21	119.15, Florida Statutes, and shall stand repealed on October 2,
22	2008, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment
23	by the Legislature.
24	Section 2.The Legislature finds that it is a public
25	necessity to exempt from disclosure pursuant to s. 119.07(1),
26	Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution
27	all information contained in the paternity registry created by
28	s. 63.165, Florida Statutes. The Legislature finds that it is
29	good public policy to encourage putative fathers to grasp both
30	the responsibility and the opportunity to be made legally aware
31	of petitions and hearings to terminate their parental rights
32	pending an adoption. The Legislature also finds that by
33	providing legal notice to putative fathers, adoptions will be
34	less likely to be legally disrupted. The Legislature further
35	finds that the information required by the paternity registry
36	reveals the existence of intimate sexual relations. Disclosure
37	of this information would likely have a negative effect on the
38	likelihood that putative fathers will register. Therefore, the
39	Legislature finds that any benefit that could occur from public
40	disclosure of the information in the paternity registry is
41	outweighed by the necessity to ensure the due process rights of
42	putative fathers.
43	Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date
44	that HB_____ or similar legislation takes effect if such
45	legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an
46	extension thereof and becomes law.
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