Senate Bill sb0030A

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 30-A

    By Senator Garcia





    40-597-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records; creating an

  3         exemption from public disclosure requirements

  4         for policyholder personal-identifying

  5         information contained in records or information

  6         held by the Department of Financial Services

  7         pertaining to the multiple hurricane deductible

  8         reimbursement program; providing an exception

  9         to the exemption; providing for future repeal

10         and legislative review of the exemption under

11         the Open Government Sunset Review Act;

12         providing a statement of public necessity;

13         providing a contingent effective date.

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

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17         Section 1.  Confidentiality of information relating to

18  reimbursement for multiple hurricane deductibles.--

19         (1)  Policyholder personal-identifying information

20  contained in records or information held by the Department of

21  Financial Services pursuant to the multiple hurricane

22  deductible reimbursement program created in Senate Bill 10-A

23  or House Bill 9-A is confidential and exempt from the

24  provisions of section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and Section

25  24(a), Article 1 of the State Constitution. Such confidential

26  and exempt information may be disclosed to another

27  governmental entity if disclosure is necessary for the

28  receiving governmental entity to perform its duties and

29  responsibilities. The receiving governmental entity must

30  maintain the confidential and exempt status of the

31  information. The information made confidential and exempt by

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 30-A
    40-597-05




 1  this subsection may be used in a criminal, civil, or

 2  administrative proceeding so long as the confidential and

 3  exempt status of such information is maintained.

 4         (2)  After a reimbursement payment has been made to a

 5  policyholder by the Department of Financial Services under the

 6  reimbursement program, the name of that individual and the

 7  amount of payment is not confidential and exempt from the

 8  provisions of section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and Section

 9  24(a), Article I of the State Constitution.

10         (3)  This section is subject to the Open Government

11  Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with section 119.15,

12  Florida Statutes, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2010,

13  unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by

14  the Legislature.

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

16  necessity that policyholder personal-identifying information

17  in records or information held by the Department of Financial

18  Services pertaining to the multiple hurricane deductible

19  reimbursement program be made confidential and exempt in order

20  to effectively and efficiently administer this "one-time"

21  governmental program. The legislative intent of this program,

22  as expressed in Senate Bill 10-A and House Bill 9-A, is to

23  reimburse policyholders in Florida for financial loss suffered

24  due to the application of multiple hurricane deductibles,

25  which constitutes a valid and necessary public and

26  governmental purpose and which serves the public health,

27  safety, and welfare. Release of a policyholder's

28  personal-identifying information, such as the name and address

29  of the claimant, is proprietary and confidential business

30  information because the availability of such information would

31  identify insurance company insureds, which is proprietary and

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 30-A
    40-597-05




 1  confidential business information. Without exempting

 2  policyholder personal-identifying information, such

 3  information is available for competitors to solicit the

 4  insureds. Disclosure of such policyholder personal-identifying

 5  information could also impair the ability of the department to

 6  gather information that it needs to complete its examination

 7  of applications for reimbursement or to determine who

 8  qualifies for reimbursement, and would ultimately thwart the

 9  state's interest in ensuring the integrity of the program.

10  However, the release of only the policyholder's name and the

11  amount the policyholder is reimbursed after such payment is

12  made by the department provides the public with the ability to

13  oversee the operation and integrity of the program.

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

15  that Senate Bill 10-A or House Bill 9-A takes effect, if such

16  legislation is enacted in the same legislative session, or an

17  extension thereof, and becomes law.

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20                          SENATE SUMMARY

21    Exempts from the public-records law information that
      identifies policyholders which is contained in records or
22    information held by the Department of Financial Services
      and which pertains to the multiple hurricane deductible
23    reimbursement program. Provides for the name of the
      policyholder and the amount reimbursed to be disclosed
24    after reimbursement is made. Provides for the future
      repeal and review of the exemption under the Open
25    Government Sunset Review Act.

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