Florida Senate - 2006                      COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
    Bill No. SB 1346
                        Barcode 614502
                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
                                   .                    
                                   .                    
 1           Comm: RS              .                    
       04/25/2006 09:58 PM         .                    
 2                                 .                    
                                   .                    
 3                                 .                    
                                   .                    
 4  ______________________________________________________________
 5  
 6  
 7  
 8  
 9  
10  ______________________________________________________________
11  The Committee on Judiciary (Aronberg) recommended the
12  following amendment:
13  
14         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 
15         Delete everything after the enacting clause
16  
17  and insert:  
18         Section 1.  Section 770.09, Florida Statutes, is
19  created to read:
20         770.09  Publicity placing a person in a false light.--
21         (1)  A person may not be held liable for publishing a
22  matter concerning an individual which places that individual
23  before the public in a false light, unless:
24         (a)  The false light in which the individual was placed
25  would be highly offensive to a reasonable person; and
26         (b)  The person making the publication acted knowingly
27  or in reckless disregard as to the false light in which the
28  individual would be placed.
29         (2)  A person may bring a civil action under this
30  section to recover damages sustained by reason of the false
31  light in which he or she was placed, except that ss. 770.01
                                  1
    12:51 PM   04/21/06                            s1346d-ju27-tt6

Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 1346 Barcode 614502 1 and 770.02 apply to all actions under this section. 2 (3) In any action under this section, the person 3 bringing the action has the burden to plead and prove the 4 elements set forth in subsection (1) and that the publication 5 at issue was the legal cause of the loss, injury, or damage. 6 (4) A cause of action for damages founded upon a 7 single publication as described in this section accrues at the 8 time of the first publication or exhibition or utterance 9 thereof in this state. A judgment in any jurisdiction for or 10 against the plaintiff upon the substantive merits of any 11 action for damages founded upon a single publication as 12 described in this section bars any other action for damages by 13 the same plaintiff against the same defendant founded upon the 14 same publication. 15 (5) An action may not be brought or maintained under 16 this section by, or on behalf of, a person who is deceased. 17 Section 2. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (4) of 18 section 95.11, Florida Statutes, to read: 19 95.11 Limitations other than for the recovery of real 20 property.--Actions other than for recovery of real property 21 shall be commenced as follows: 22 (4) WITHIN TWO YEARS.-- 23 (h) An action for publicity placing a person in a 24 false light pursuant to s. 770.09. 25 Section 3. The provisions of this act are remedial and 26 it is the intent of the Legislature that, to the extent 27 permitted by law, this act shall apply retroactively. 28 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. 29 30 31 2 12:51 PM 04/21/06 s1346d-ju27-tt6
Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 1346 Barcode 614502 1 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T =============== 2 And the title is amended as follows: 3 Delete everything before the enacting clause 4 5 and insert: 6 A bill to be entitled 7 An act relating to actions involving free 8 speech or defamation; creating s. 770.09, F.S.; 9 providing criteria for liability for publishing 10 a matter concerning an individual which places 11 that individual before the public in a false 12 light; providing for a civil action to recover 13 damages; requiring that the person bringing the 14 action plead and prove the elements of the 15 claim; amending s. 95.11, F.S.; limiting the 16 period in which to commence an action; 17 providing that the act is remedial and that the 18 Legislature intends that the act apply 19 retroactively; providing an effective date. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3 12:51 PM 04/21/06 s1346d-ju27-tt6