ENROLLED HB 1593 2003 Legislature
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to a public records exemption for
3    information regarding foster parent applicants and
4    licensed foster parents; amending s. 409.175, F.S.;
5    expanding the exemption to include foster parent
6    applicants and medical records of licensed foster parents
7    and foster parent applicants; narrowing the exemption to
8    remove information contained in neighbor references;
9    making exempt the name, address, and telephone number of
10    persons providing character or neighbor references;
11    providing for expiration and retroactive application of
12    the exemptions; clarifying language and making editorial
13    changes; providing for future review and repeal of the
14    exemptions; providing a statement of public necessity;
15    providing an effective date.
16         
17          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18         
19          Section 1. Notwithstanding the October 2, 2003, repeal of
20    said subsection scheduled pursuant to the Open Government Sunset
21    Review Act of 1995, subsection (16) of section 409.175, Florida
22    Statutes, is amended to read:
23          409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential
24    child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public
25    records exemption.--
26          (16)(a) The following information contained in the
27    licensing file held by the Department of Children and Family
28    Services regarding a foster parent applicant and such
29    applicant’s spouse, minor child, and other adult household
30    memberdepartmentis exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1)
31    and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution,unless otherwise
32    ordered by a court: the home, business, work, childcare, or
33    school addresses and, telephone numbers;,social security
34    numbers;, birthdates;,medical records; the floor plan of the
35    home; and photographs of such persons. If a foster parent
36    applicant does not receive a foster parent license, the
37    information made exempt pursuant to this paragraph shall become
38    public 5 years after the date of application, except that social
39    security numbers and medical records shall remain exempt from
40    the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
41    Constitution. This exemption applies to information made exempt
42    by this paragraph before, on, or after the effective date of the
43    exemption.
44          (b) The following information held by the Department of
45    Children and Family Services regarding a licensed foster parent
46    and the foster parent’s spouse,who are licensed under this
47    section to be family foster parents and of their spouses, their
48    minor childchildren, and other adult household membermembers
49    is exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art.
50    I of the State Constitution, unless otherwise ordered by a
51    court: the home, business, work, childcare, or school addresses
52    and telephone numbers; social security numbers; birthdates;
53    medical records; identifying information about such persons in
54    neighbor references; the floor plan of the foster home; and
55    photographs of such persons. If a foster parent’s license is no
56    longer active, the information made exempt pursuant to this
57    paragraph shall become public 5 years after the expiration date
58    of such foster parent’s foster care license, except that social
59    security numbers and medical records shall remain exempt from
60    the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
61    Constitution. However, exempt information regarding a licensed
62    foster parent who has become an adoptive parent and exempt
63    information regarding such foster parent’s spouse, minor child,
64    or other adult household member shall not become available to
65    the public 5 years after expiration of such foster parent’s
66    license and shall remain exempt from the provisions of s.
67    119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This
68    exemption applies to information made exempt by this paragraph
69    before, on, or after the effective date of the exemption.
70          (c) The name, address, and telephone number of persons
71    providing character or neighbor references regarding foster
72    parent applicants or licensed foster parents held by the
73    Department of Children and Family Services are exempt from the
74    provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
75    Constitutionand any identifying information about such persons
76    contained in similar sensitive, personal information that is
77    provided to the department by such persons. This subsection
78    applies to foster parents whose homes are licensed under this
79    section, including, but not limited to, all individuals who were
80    foster parents andbecame adoptive parents. This subsection is
81    subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act of 1995 in
82    accordance with s. 119.15, and shall stand repealed on October
83    2, 2003, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
84    reenactment by the Legislature.
85          Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (16) of s.
86    409.175, Florida Statutes, are subject to the Open Government
87    Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15, Florida
88    Statutes, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2008, unless
89    reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
90    Legislature.
91          Section 3. The Legislature finds that it is a public
92    necessity that the public records exemption found in s.
93    409.175(16), Florida Statutes, be expanded to include medical
94    records and certain information regarding foster parent
95    applicants, as well as information regarding a foster parent
96    applicant's spouse, child, and other adult household members, in
97    order to protect information of a sensitive personal nature.
98    Public access to such records could cause harm or embarrassment
99    to an individual and constitutes an unwarranted invasion into an
100    individual's life and personal privacy. The harm from disclosing
101    medical records outweighs any public benefit that can be derived
102    from public access to such records. The Legislature also finds
103    that the public records exemption for medical records is a
104    public necessity because matters of personal health are
105    traditionally private and confidential concerns between a
106    patient and a health care provider. The private and confidential
107    nature of personal health matters pervades both the public and
108    private health care sectors. Furthermore, the public
109    availability of medical records could lessen the willingness of
110    prospective caregivers to reveal medical information, thus
111    hindering the department’s ability to assess foster parent
112    applicants and licensed foster parents and hindering the
113    department’s attempts to make appropriate placements for foster
114    children. The Legislature further finds that it is a public
115    necessity to provide foster parent applicants with the same
116    public records exemption afforded licensed foster parents under
117    s. 409.175(16), Florida Statutes, in order to encourage persons
118    to apply to become licensed foster parents. The public
119    availability of such information regarding foster parent
120    applicants could have a negative, chilling effect on the
121    recruitment of such persons. Accordingly, the public records
122    exemption for such applicant information and for medical records
123    is a public necessity for the effective and efficient operation
124    of the foster care program.
125          Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.