CS/HB 985

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to public records and meetings; amending
3s. 112.324, F.S.; revising an exemption from public record
4and public meeting requirements which is provided for
5complaints and related records in the custody of and
6proceedings conducted by a county that has established a
7local investigatory process to enforce more stringent
8standards of conduct and disclosure requirements;
9providing for future repeal and legislative review under
10the Open Government Sunset Review Act of revisions to the
11exemption; providing a statement of public necessity;
12providing an effective date.
13
14Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16     Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 112.324, Florida
17Statutes, is amended to read:
18     112.324  Procedures on complaints of violations; public
19records and meeting exemptions.--
20     (2)(a)  The complaint and records relating to the complaint
21or to any preliminary investigation held by the commission or
22its agents, or by a Commission on Ethics and Public Trust
23established by any county defined in s. 125.011(1) or by any
24municipality defined in s. 165.031, or by any county that has
25established a local investigatory process to enforce more
26stringent standards of conduct and disclosure requirements as
27provided in s. 112.326 are confidential and exempt from the
28provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
29Constitution., and
30     (b)  Any proceeding conducted by the commission, or a
31Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, or a county that has
32established such local investigatory process, pursuant to a
33complaint or preliminary investigation, is exempt from the
34provisions of s. 286.011, s. 24(b), Art. I of the State
35Constitution, and s. 120.525.,
36     (c)  The exemptions apply until the complaint is dismissed
37as legally insufficient, until the alleged violator requests in
38writing that such records and proceedings be made public, or
39until the commission, or a Commission on Ethics and Public
40Trust, or a county that has established such local investigatory
41process determines, based on such investigation, whether
42probable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred.
43In no event shall a complaint under this part against a
44candidate in any general, special, or primary election be filed
45or any intention of filing such a complaint be disclosed on the
46day of any such election or within the 5 days immediately
47preceding the date of the election.
48     (d)(b)  This subsection Paragraph (a) is subject to the
49Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
50and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2014 2010, unless
51reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
52Legislature.
53     Section 2.  The Legislature finds that it is a public
54necessity that all complaints and related records in the custody
55of a county that has established a local investigatory process
56to enforce more stringent standards of conduct and disclosure
57requirements as provided in s. 112.326, Florida Statutes, which
58relate to a complaint of a local ethics violation be exempted
59from public-record and public-meeting requirements until the
60complaint is dismissed as legally insufficient, until the
61alleged violator requests in writing that such records and
62proceedings be made public, or until it is determined, based on
63the investigation, whether probable cause exists to believe that
64a violation has occurred. This exemption is necessary because
65the release of such information could potentially be defamatory
66to an individual under investigation, cause unwarranted damage
67to the good name or reputation of such individual, or
68significantly impair the investigation. The exemption creates a
69secure environment in which a county may conduct its
70investigation.
71     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.


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