SENATE AMENDMENT
    Bill No. CS for SB 1444
    Amendment No. ___   Barcode 891206
                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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       04/29/2003 11:36 AM         .                    
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11  Senator Lynn moved the following amendment:
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13         Senate Amendment 
14         On page 3, line 27, through page 5, line 18, delete
15  those lines
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17  and insert:  be expanded to include medical records and
18  certain information regarding foster parent applicants, as
19  well as information regarding a foster parent applicant's
20  spouse, child, and other adult household members, in order to
21  protect information of a sensitive personal nature. Public
22  access to such records could cause harm or embarrassment to an
23  individual and constitutes an unwarranted invasion into an
24  individual's life and personal privacy. The harm from
25  disclosing medical records outweighs any public benefit that
26  can be derived from public access to such records. The
27  Legislature also finds that the public records exemption for
28  medical records is a public necessity because matters of
29  personal health are traditionally private and confidential
30  concerns between a patient and a health care provider. The
31  private and confidential nature of personal health matters
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    9:39 AM   04/28/03                               s1444.cf07.bc


                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT
    Bill No. CS for SB 1444
    Amendment No. ___   Barcode 891206
 1  pervades both the public and private health care sectors.
 2  Furthermore, the public availability of medical records could
 3  lessen the willingness of prospective caregivers to reveal
 4  medical information, thus hindering the department's ability
 5  to assess foster parent applicants and licensed foster parents
 6  and hindering the department's attempts to make appropriate
 7  placements for foster children. The Legislature further finds
 8  that it is a public necessity to provide foster parent
 9  applicants with the same public records exemption afforded
10  licensed foster parents under s. 409.175(16), Florida
11  Statutes, in order to encourage persons to apply to become
12  licensed foster parents. The public availability of such
13  information regarding foster parent applicants could have a
14  negative, chilling effect on the recruitment of such persons.
15  Accordingly, the public records exemption for such applicant
16  information and for medical records is a public necessity for
17  the effective and efficient operation of the foster care
18  program.
19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a
20  law.
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    9:39 AM   04/28/03                               s1444.cf07.bc