HB 449

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to a public records exemption; amending s.
31004.43, F.S.; expanding the public records exemption for
4proprietary confidential business information owned or
5controlled by the not-for-profit corporation operating the
6H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute and
7its subsidiaries relating to trade secrets; expanding the
8exemption to include information received from an agency
9in this or another state or nation or the Federal
10Government which is otherwise exempt or confidential
11pursuant to the laws of this or another state or nation or
12pursuant to federal law; providing for future review and
13repeal; providing a statement of public necessity;
14providing an effective date.
15
16Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18     Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (8) of section
191004.43, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (c) is
20added to said subsection, to read:
21     1004.43  H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research
22Institute.--There is established the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer
23Center and Research Institute at the University of South
24Florida.
25     (8)
26     (b)  Proprietary confidential business information is
27confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and
28s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. However, the Auditor
29General, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
30Accountability, and the State Board of Education, pursuant to
31their oversight and auditing functions, must be given access to
32all proprietary confidential business information upon request
33and without subpoena and must maintain the confidentiality of
34information so received. As used in this paragraph, the term
35"proprietary confidential business information" means
36information, regardless of its form or characteristics, which is
37owned or controlled by the not-for-profit corporation or its
38subsidiaries; is intended to be and is treated by the not-for-
39profit corporation or its subsidiaries as private and the
40disclosure of which would harm the business operations of the
41not-for-profit corporation or its subsidiaries; has not been
42intentionally disclosed by the corporation or its subsidiaries
43unless pursuant to law, an order of a court or administrative
44body, a legislative proceeding pursuant to s. 5, Art. III of the
45State Constitution, or a private agreement that provides that
46the information may be released to the public; and which is
47information concerning:
48     1.  Internal auditing controls and reports of internal
49auditors;
50     2.  Matters reasonably encompassed in privileged attorney-
51client communications;
52     3.  Contracts for managed-care arrangements, including
53preferred provider organization contracts, health maintenance
54organization contracts, and exclusive provider organization
55contracts, and any documents directly relating to the
56negotiation, performance, and implementation of any such
57contracts for managed-care arrangements;
58     4.  Bids or other contractual data, banking records, and
59credit agreements the disclosure of which would impair the
60efforts of the not-for-profit corporation or its subsidiaries to
61contract for goods or services on favorable terms;
62     5.  Information relating to private contractual data, the
63disclosure of which would impair the competitive interest of the
64provider of the information;
65     6.  Corporate officer and employee personnel information;
66     7.  Information relating to the proceedings and records of
67credentialing panels and committees and of the governing board
68of the not-for-profit corporation or its subsidiaries relating
69to credentialing;
70     8.  Minutes of meetings of the governing board of the not-
71for-profit corporation and its subsidiaries, except minutes of
72meetings open to the public pursuant to subsection (9);
73     9.  Information that reveals plans for marketing services
74that the corporation or its subsidiaries reasonably expect to be
75provided by competitors;
76     10.  Trade secrets as defined in s. 688.002, including:
77     a.  Information relating to methods of manufacture or
78production, potential trade secrets, potentially patentable
79materials, or proprietary information received, generated,
80ascertained, or discovered during the course of research
81conducted by the not-for-profit corporation or its subsidiaries;
82and
83     b.  Reimbursement methodologies or rates; or
84     11.  The identity of donors or prospective donors of
85property who wish to remain anonymous or any information
86identifying such donors or prospective donors. The anonymity of
87these donors or prospective donors must be maintained in the
88auditor's report; or.
89     12.  Any information received by the not-for-profit
90corporation or its subsidiaries from an agency in this or
91another state or nation or the Federal Government which is
92otherwise exempt or confidential pursuant to the laws of this or
93another state or nation or pursuant to federal law.
94
95As used in this paragraph, the term "managed care" means systems
96or techniques generally used by third-party payors or their
97agents to affect access to and control payment for health care
98services. Managed-care techniques most often include one or more
99of the following: prior, concurrent, and retrospective review of
100the medical necessity and appropriateness of services or site of
101services; contracts with selected health care providers;
102financial incentives or disincentives related to the use of
103specific providers, services, or service sites; controlled
104access to and coordination of services by a case manager; and
105payor efforts to identify treatment alternatives and modify
106benefit restrictions for high-cost patient care.
107     (c)  Subparagraphs 10. and 12. of paragraph (b) are subject
108to the Open Government Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance
109with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2010,
110unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
111Legislature.
112     Section 2.  The Legislature finds that it is a public
113necessity that information relating to methods of manufacture or
114production, potential trade secrets, potentially patentable
115materials, or proprietary information received, generated,
116ascertained, or discovered during the course of research
117conducted by the not-for-profit corporation organized solely for
118the purpose of governing and operating the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer
119Center and Research Institute or its subsidiaries be held
120confidential and exempt from public disclosure because the
121disclosure of such information would adversely impact the not-
122for-profit corporation or its subsidiaries and would create an
123unfair competitive advantage for persons receiving such
124information. If such confidential and exempt information
125regarding research in progress were released pursuant to a
126public records request, others would be allowed to take the
127benefit of the research without compensation or reimbursement to
128the research center. The Legislature further finds that it is a
129public necessity that information received by the not-for-profit
130corporation or its subsidiaries from an agency in this or
131another state or nation or the Federal Government which is
132otherwise exempt or confidential from public disclosure pursuant
133to the laws of this or another state or nation or pursuant to
134federal law should remain exempt or confidential from public
135records requirements because the highly confidential nature of
136cancer-related research necessitates that the not-for-profit
137corporation or its subsidiaries be authorized to maintain the
138status of the exempt or confidential information it receives.
139Without the exemptions provided for in this act, the disclosure
140of confidential and exempt information would place the not-for-
141profit corporation on an unequal footing in the marketplace as
142compared with its private health care and medical research
143competitors that are not required to disclose such confidential
144and exempt information. The Legislature finds that the
145disclosure of such confidential and exempt information would
146adversely impact the not-for-profit corporation or its
147subsidiaries in fulfilling their mission of cancer treatment,
148research, and education.
149     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.