Senate Bill sb1272c1

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1272

    By the Committee on Education; and Senator Wise





    581-1921-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records and public

  3         meetings exemptions for investigations by the

  4         Commission for Independent Education; amending

  5         s. 1005.38, F.S.; creating an exemption from

  6         public records requirements for investigatory

  7         records, including minutes and findings of an

  8         exempt probable cause panel relating to

  9         suspected violations of ch. 1005, F.S., or

10         commission rules; creating an exemption from

11         public meetings requirements for proceedings of

12         a probable cause panel; providing for limited

13         duration of the exemptions; providing for

14         future review and repeal; providing a statement

15         of public necessity; providing a contingent

16         effective date.

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

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20         Section 1.  Paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of

21  subsection (6) of section 1005.38, Florida Statutes, as

22  amended by SB 1250, 2005 Regular Session, are redesignated as

23  paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g), respectively, and a

24  new paragraph (b) is added to that subsection to read:

25         1005.38  Actions against a licensee and other

26  penalties.--

27         (6)  The commission may conduct disciplinary

28  proceedings through an investigation of any suspected

29  violation of this chapter or any rule of the commission,

30  including a finding of probable cause and making reports to

31  any law enforcement agency or regulatory agency.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1272
    581-1921-05




 1         (b)1.  All investigatory records held by the commission

 2  in conjunction with an investigation conducted pursuant to

 3  this subsection, including minutes and findings of an exempt

 4  probable cause panel meeting convened in conjunction with such

 5  investigation, are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art.

 6  I of the State Constitution for a period not to exceed 10 days

 7  after the panel makes a determination regarding probable

 8  cause.

 9         2.  Those portions of a meeting of the probable cause

10  panel at which records made exempt pursuant to subparagraph 1.

11  are discussed are exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I

12  of the State Constitution.

13         3.  This paragraph is subject to the Open Government

14  Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15 and

15  shall stand repealed on October 2, 2010, unless reviewed and

16  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

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

18  necessity that investigatory records held by the Commission

19  for Independent Education in conjunction with an investigation

20  conducted pursuant to section 1005.38(6), Florida Statutes,

21  including minutes and findings of an exempt probable cause

22  panel meeting convened in conjunction with such

23  investigations, be made exempt from public records

24  requirements for a period not to exceed 10 days after a panel

25  makes a determination regarding probable cause. The

26  Legislature further finds that it is a public necessity that

27  the proceedings of any probable cause panel convened in

28  conjunction with such investigations be made exempt from

29  public meetings requirements until the panel makes a

30  determination regarding probable cause. The exemptions created

31  by this act relating to investigations conducted by the

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    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 1272
    581-1921-05




 1  Commission for Independent Education prevent unfounded

 2  complaints and investigations from being used to damage the

 3  good name of an institution or persons associated with the

 4  institution. Because the information made exempt under this

 5  act will be available to the public after a determination

 6  regarding probable cause is made, public oversight will be

 7  maintained.

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

 9  that SB 1250 or similar legislation takes effect, if such

10  legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an

11  extension thereof and becomes law.

12  

13          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
14                         Senate Bill 1272

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16  The Committee Substitute provides that the investigatory
    records, including the minutes and findings of an exempt
17  probable cause panel meeting, are exempt from public review
    for a maximum of 10 days after the probable cause panel makes
18  a determination regarding probable cause; and revises the
    public necessity statement.
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