HB 541

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to public records; amending s. 119.07,
3F.S.; requiring an agency head who appoints a designee to
4act as a custodian of public records to provide notice to
5the public of such designation; providing notice
6requirements; prohibiting a person who is not a custodian
7of public records or a designee from denying the existence
8of a record or misleading anyone as to the existence of a
9record; requiring custodians of public records and their
10designees to respond to requests to inspect and copy
11public records promptly and in good faith; amending ss.
12497.140, 627.311, and 627.351, F.S.; correcting cross-
13references; providing an effective date.
14
15Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17     Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 119.07, Florida
18Statutes, is amended to read:
19     119.07  Inspection and copying of records; photographing
20public records; fees; exemptions.--
21     (1)(a)  Every person who has custody of a public record
22shall permit the record to be inspected and copied by any person
23desiring to do so, at any reasonable time, under reasonable
24conditions, and under supervision by the custodian of the public
25records.
26     (b)  Each agency head who appoints a designee to act as a
27custodian of public records shall provide notice to the public
28of such designation. Such notice shall contain the name and
29title of the designee and the designee's e-mail address, office
30telephone number, and office mailing address. At a minimum, the
31notice shall be prominently posted in those portions of agency
32offices that are accessible to the public and, if the agency
33maintains an agency website, the notice shall be prominently
34displayed on the home page of such website and shall be made
35available by any employee who responds to telephone calls from
36the public. A person who is not a custodian of public records or
37appointed as a designee may not deny the existence of a public
38record nor mislead anyone as to the existence of a public
39record.
40     (c)  A custodian of public records and his or her designee
41must respond to requests to inspect or copy records promptly and
42in good faith. A good faith response includes making reasonable
43efforts to determine from other officers or employees whether
44such a record exists and, if so, the location at which the
45record can be accessed.
46     (d)  A custodian of public records or his or her designee
47shall be available to respond to requests to inspect and copy
48public records during the regular business hours of the office
49at which public records are maintained.
50     (e)(b)  A person who has custody of a public record who
51asserts that an exemption applies to a part of such record shall
52redact that portion of the record to which an exemption has been
53asserted and validly applies, and such person shall produce the
54remainder of such record for inspection and copying.
55     (f)(c)  If the person who has custody of a public record
56contends that all or part of the record is exempt from
57inspection and copying, he or she shall state the basis of the
58exemption that he or she contends is applicable to the record,
59including the statutory citation to an exemption created or
60afforded by statute.
61     (g)(d)  If requested by the person seeking to inspect or
62copy the record, the custodian of public records shall state in
63writing and with particularity the reasons for the conclusion
64that the record is exempt or confidential.
65     (h)(e)  In any civil action in which an exemption to this
66section is asserted, if the exemption is alleged to exist under
67or by virtue of s. 119.071(1)(d) or (f), (2)(d),(e), or (f), or
68(4)(c), the public record or part thereof in question shall be
69submitted to the court for an inspection in camera. If an
70exemption is alleged to exist under or by virtue of s.
71119.071(2)(c), an inspection in camera is discretionary with the
72court. If the court finds that the asserted exemption is not
73applicable, it shall order the public record or part thereof in
74question to be immediately produced for inspection or copying as
75requested by the person seeking such access.
76     (i)(f)  Even if an assertion is made by the custodian of
77public records that a requested record is not a public record
78subject to public inspection or copying under this subsection,
79the requested record shall, nevertheless, not be disposed of for
80a period of 30 days after the date on which a written request to
81inspect or copy the record was served on or otherwise made to
82the custodian of public records by the person seeking access to
83the record. If a civil action is instituted within the 30-day
84period to enforce the provisions of this section with respect to
85the requested record, the custodian of public records may not
86dispose of the record except by order of a court of competent
87jurisdiction after notice to all affected parties.
88     (j)(g)  The absence of a civil action instituted for the
89purpose stated in paragraph (h) (e) does not relieve the
90custodian of public records of the duty to maintain the record
91as a public record if the record is in fact a public record
92subject to public inspection and copying under this subsection
93and does not otherwise excuse or exonerate the custodian of
94public records from any unauthorized or unlawful disposition of
95such record.
96     Section 2.  Subsection (5) of section 497.140, Florida
97Statutes, is amended to read:
98     497.140  Fees.--
99     (5)  The department shall charge a fee not to exceed $25
100for the certification of a public record. The fee shall be
101determined by rule of the department. The department shall
102assess a fee for duplication of a public record as provided in
103s. 119.07(1)(a) and (e)(b).
104     Section 3.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
105627.311, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
106     627.311  Joint underwriters and joint reinsurers; public
107records and public meetings exemptions.--
108     (4)  The Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association:
109     (b)  Shall keep portions of association meetings during
110which confidential and exempt underwriting files or confidential
111and exempt claims files are discussed exempt from the provisions
112of s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution.
113All closed portions of association meetings shall be recorded by
114a court reporter. The court reporter shall record the times of
115commencement and termination of the meeting, all discussion and
116proceedings, the names of all persons present at any time, and
117the names of all persons speaking. No portion of any closed
118meeting shall be off the record. Subject to the provisions of
119this paragraph and s. 119.07(1)(e)-(g)(b)-(d), the court
120reporter's notes of any closed meeting shall be retained by the
121association for a minimum of 5 years. A copy of the transcript,
122less any confidential and exempt information, of any closed
123meeting during which confidential and exempt claims files are
124discussed shall become public as to individual claims files
125after settlement of that claim.
126     Section 4.  Paragraph (w) of subsection (6) of section
127627.351, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
128     627.351  Insurance risk apportionment plans.--
129     (6)  CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION.--
130     (w)1.  The following records of the corporation are
131confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and
132s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
133     a.  Underwriting files, except that a policyholder or an
134applicant shall have access to his or her own underwriting
135files.
136     b.  Claims files, until termination of all litigation and
137settlement of all claims arising out of the same incident,
138although portions of the claims files may remain exempt, as
139otherwise provided by law. Confidential and exempt claims file
140records may be released to other governmental agencies upon
141written request and demonstration of need; such records held by
142the receiving agency remain confidential and exempt as provided
143for herein.
144     c.  Records obtained or generated by an internal auditor
145pursuant to a routine audit, until the audit is completed, or if
146the audit is conducted as part of an investigation, until the
147investigation is closed or ceases to be active. An investigation
148is considered "active" while the investigation is being
149conducted with a reasonable, good faith belief that it could
150lead to the filing of administrative, civil, or criminal
151proceedings.
152     d.  Matters reasonably encompassed in privileged attorney-
153client communications.
154     e.  Proprietary information licensed to the corporation
155under contract and the contract provides for the confidentiality
156of such proprietary information.
157     f.  All information relating to the medical condition or
158medical status of a corporation employee which is not relevant
159to the employee's capacity to perform his or her duties, except
160as otherwise provided in this paragraph. Information which is
161exempt shall include, but is not limited to, information
162relating to workers' compensation, insurance benefits, and
163retirement or disability benefits.
164     g.  Upon an employee's entrance into the employee
165assistance program, a program to assist any employee who has a
166behavioral or medical disorder, substance abuse problem, or
167emotional difficulty which affects the employee's job
168performance, all records relative to that participation shall be
169confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and
170s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, except as otherwise
171provided in s. 112.0455(11).
172     h.  Information relating to negotiations for financing,
173reinsurance, depopulation, or contractual services, until the
174conclusion of the negotiations.
175     i.  Minutes of closed meetings regarding underwriting
176files, and minutes of closed meetings regarding an open claims
177file until termination of all litigation and settlement of all
178claims with regard to that claim, except that information
179otherwise confidential or exempt by law will be redacted.
180
181When an authorized insurer is considering underwriting a risk
182insured by the corporation, relevant underwriting files and
183confidential claims files may be released to the insurer
184provided the insurer agrees in writing, notarized and under
185oath, to maintain the confidentiality of such files. When a file
186is transferred to an insurer that file is no longer a public
187record because it is not held by an agency subject to the
188provisions of the public records law. Underwriting files and
189confidential claims files may also be released to staff of and
190the board of governors of the market assistance plan established
191pursuant to s. 627.3515, who must retain the confidentiality of
192such files, except such files may be released to authorized
193insurers that are considering assuming the risks to which the
194files apply, provided the insurer agrees in writing, notarized
195and under oath, to maintain the confidentiality of such files.
196Finally, the corporation or the board or staff of the market
197assistance plan may make the following information obtained from
198underwriting files and confidential claims files available to
199licensed general lines insurance agents: name, address, and
200telephone number of the residential property owner or insured;
201location of the risk; rating information; loss history; and
202policy type. The receiving licensed general lines insurance
203agent must retain the confidentiality of the information
204received.
205     2.  Portions of meetings of the corporation are exempt from
206the provisions of s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State
207Constitution wherein confidential underwriting files or
208confidential open claims files are discussed. All portions of
209corporation meetings which are closed to the public shall be
210recorded by a court reporter. The court reporter shall record
211the times of commencement and termination of the meeting, all
212discussion and proceedings, the names of all persons present at
213any time, and the names of all persons speaking. No portion of
214any closed meeting shall be off the record. Subject to the
215provisions hereof and s. 119.07(1)(e)-(g)(b)-(d), the court
216reporter's notes of any closed meeting shall be retained by the
217corporation for a minimum of 5 years. A copy of the transcript,
218less any exempt matters, of any closed meeting wherein claims
219are discussed shall become public as to individual claims after
220settlement of the claim.
221     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


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