1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to a review under the Open Government

3

Sunset Review Act; amending s. 63.0541, F.S., relating to

4

a public-records exemption for information contained in

5

the Florida Putative Father Registry; saving the exemption

6

from repeal under the Open Government Sunset Review Act;

7

narrowing the exemption to allow access by the birth

8

mother; repealing s. 2, ch. 2003-56, Laws of Florida,

9

relating to provisions providing for the repeal of the

10

exemption; providing an effective date.

11

12

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

13

14

     Section 1.  Section 63.0541, Florida Statutes, is amended to

15

read:

16

     63.0541  Public records exemption for the Florida Putative

17

Father Registry.--

18

     (1)  All information contained in the Florida Putative

19

Father Registry and maintained by the Office of Vital Statistics

20

within the Department of Health is confidential and exempt from

21

public disclosure pursuant to s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I

22

of the State Constitution, except as otherwise provided in this

23

section. Information made confidential and exempt by this section

24

shall be disclosed to:

25

     (a)  An adoption entity, upon the filing of a request for a

26

diligent search of the Florida Putative Father Registry in

27

connection with the planned adoption of a child.

28

     (b)  The registrant unmarried biological father, upon

29

receipt of notarized request for a copy of his registry entry

30

only.

31

     (c) The birth mother, upon receipt of a notarized request

32

for a copy of any registry entry in which she is identified as

33

the birth mother.

34

     (d)(c) The court, upon issuance of a court order concerning

35

a petitioner acting pro se in an action under this chapter.

36

     (2) Except as provided set forth in subsection (1), the

37

database comprising the Florida Putative Father Registry shall

38

remain confidential and exempt and separate from all other

39

databases in this state, including any local or federal database.

40

Such database may not be accessed by any other state or federal

41

agency or entity.

42

     Section 2. Section 2 of chapter 2003-56, Laws of Florida,

43

is repealed.

44

     Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2008.