Senate Bill sb1222

    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1222

    By the Committee on Finance and Taxation





    314-638-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records; amending s.

  3         193.703, F.S.; creating an exemption from

  4         disclosure under the public records law for

  5         social security numbers of qualified parents or

  6         grandparents who are living in quarters for

  7         which a reduction in assessment has been

  8         allowed under that section; providing for

  9         future legislative review and repeal; providing

10         a statement of public necessity; providing an

11         effective date.

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

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15         Section 1.  Subsection (7) is added to section 193.703,

16  Florida Statutes, to read:

17         193.703  Reduction in assessment for living quarters of

18  parents or grandparents.--

19         (7)  The social security number of the natural or

20  adoptive parent or grandparent of the owner of the property or

21  of the owner's spouse which is submitted to the department or

22  any state or local agency under this section is confidential

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

24  s. 119.07(1). A copy of any document which is furnished or

25  sold by the property appraiser and which contains such a

26  social security number, except for a copy furnished to the

27  department or a copy provided to the owner of the property by

28  the department or any state or local agency for inspection or

29  examination, must exclude those social security numbers. This

30  subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act

31  of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15, and shall stand repealed

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1222
    314-638-04




 1  on October 2, 2009, unless reviewed and saved from repeal

 2  through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

 4  necessity that the social security number of a qualified

 5  parent or grandparent who is living in quarters for which a

 6  reduction in assessment has been allowed under section

 7  193.703, Florida Statutes, be exempt from public disclosure.

 8  The Legislature finds that the social security number has

 9  traditionally, under federal law, been considered private

10  unless a compelling public interest, such as the collection of

11  child support from a defaulting parent, overrides the right to

12  privacy and, even then, disclosure of the social security

13  number is limited. The Legislature also finds that disclosure

14  of the social security number greatly increases the risk of

15  identity theft, which has become a widespread problem in our

16  technology-based society. The public availability of this

17  information would have a chilling effect on the willingness of

18  parents and grandparents, who need the housing for which a

19  reduction in assessment is allowed under section 193.703,

20  Florida Statutes, to avail themselves of this shelter, thus,

21  in many cases, undoubtedly decreasing their standard of living

22  and perhaps leading to an increase in their need for social

23  services, including more expensive subsidized housing.

24  Accordingly, it is a public necessity that the social security

25  numbers of parents and grandparents living in property that

26  receives this reduction in assessment be disclosed only as

27  provided in section 193.703(7), Florida Statutes.

28         Section 3.  This act shall take effect on the same date

29  that Senate Bill  _____ or similar legislation takes effect,

30  if such legislation is enacted in the same legislative

31  session, or an extension thereof, and becomes law.

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1222
    314-638-04




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 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Creates a public-records exemption for social security
      numbers of qualified parents or grandparents who live in
 4    quarters for which a reduction in assessment has been
      allowed under s. 193.703, F.S. Provides for future
 5    legislative review and repeal. Provides a statement of
      public necessity.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.