1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to public records and public meetings |
3 | exemptions; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; exempting from |
4 | public records requirements records relating to drug tests |
5 | and to challenge and appeal proceedings under the Florida |
6 | High School Athletic Association's random drug testing |
7 | program; exempting from public meetings requirements the |
8 | portions of a meeting at which records relating to drug |
9 | tests or to challenge or appeal proceedings will be |
10 | discussed; providing for future review and repeal; |
11 | providing a statement of public necessity; providing a |
12 | contingent effective date. |
13 |
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14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
15 |
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16 | Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (10) of section |
17 | 1006.20, Florida Statutes, as created by Committee Substitute |
18 | for HB 461, 2007 Regular Session, is amended to read: |
19 | 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.-- |
20 | (10) RANDOM DRUG TESTING PROGRAM.-- |
21 | (b) The organization's board of directors shall establish |
22 | procedures for the conduct of the program that, at a minimum, |
23 | shall provide for the following: |
24 | 1. The organization shall select and enter into a contract |
25 | with a testing agency that will administer the testing program. |
26 | The laboratory utilized by the testing agency to analyze |
27 | specimens shall be accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. |
28 | 2. Each member school shall report to the organization the |
29 | names of all students who will represent the school in football, |
30 | baseball, and weightlifting. A student shall not be eligible to |
31 | participate in interscholastic athletics in any of these sports |
32 | in a member school until the student's name has been reported to |
33 | the organization by the school. |
34 | 3. The organization shall provide to the testing agency |
35 | all names of students that are submitted by its member schools. |
36 | A maximum of 1 percent of the total number of students who |
37 | participate in football, baseball, and weightlifting shall be |
38 | randomly selected by the testing agency to undergo testing. |
39 | 4. The testing agency shall notify not fewer than 7 days |
40 | in advance both the administration of a school and the |
41 | organization of the date on which its representatives will be |
42 | present at the school to collect a specimen from a randomly |
43 | selected student. However, the name of the student from which a |
44 | specimen is to be collected shall not be disclosed. |
45 | 5. Records relating to drug tests under this subsection |
46 | and to the challenge and appeal proceedings under paragraph (h) |
47 | shall be maintained separately from a student's educational |
48 | records. |
49 | 6.a. Records relating to drug tests under this subsection |
50 | and to the challenge or appeal proceedings under paragraph (h) |
51 | are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. |
52 | I of the State Constitution. This subparagraph is subject to the |
53 | Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 |
54 | and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2012, unless reviewed and |
55 | saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. |
56 | b. Information made confidential and exempt under sub- |
57 | subparagraph a. may only be disclosed to the organization, the |
58 | student, the student's parent, the administration of the |
59 | student's school, and the administration of any school to which |
60 | the student may transfer during a suspension from participation |
61 | in interscholastic athletics resulting from a positive finding. |
62 | The entities or persons receiving such information shall |
63 | maintain the confidential and exempt status of the information. |
64 | 7. The portions of a meeting at which records are |
65 | presented or discussed that are confidential and exempt under |
66 | subparagraph 6. are exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I |
67 | of the State Constitution. This subparagraph is subject to the |
68 | Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 |
69 | and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2012, unless reviewed and |
70 | saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. |
71 | Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public |
72 | necessity for the records relating to drug tests administered, |
73 | and to the challenge or appeal proceedings occurring, under s. |
74 | 1006.20(10), Florida Statutes, to be made confidential and |
75 | exempt from public records requirements. The Legislature finds |
76 | that harm caused by releasing such information outweighs any |
77 | public benefit that might be derived from releasing the |
78 | information. Such information is of a sensitive and personal |
79 | nature, could be used to discriminate against a student, and |
80 | could cause harm to a student's reputation. The Legislature |
81 | further finds that it is a public necessity for the portions of |
82 | a meeting at which the records of drug tests or of challenge or |
83 | appeal proceedings under s. 1006.20(10), Florida Statutes, are |
84 | presented or discussed to be made exempt from public meetings |
85 | requirements. The Legislature finds that the exemption of these |
86 | proceedings from public meetings requirements minimizes the |
87 | possibility of unnecessary scrutiny by the public or media of |
88 | sensitive, personal information concerning a student. |
89 | Furthermore, without such exemption, release of confidential and |
90 | exempt information via a public meeting defeats the purpose of |
91 | the public records exemption. |
92 | Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date |
93 | that Committee Substitute for HB 461 or similar legislation |
94 | takes effect, if such legislation is adopted in the same |
95 | legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes law. |