Florida Senate - 2015                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 224
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì4797224Î479722                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/03/2015           .                                
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       The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       (Latvala) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes, is amended
    6  to read:
    7         119.0701 Contracts; public records.—
    8         (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
    9         (a) “Contractor” means an individual, partnership,
   10  corporation, or business entity that enters into a contract for
   11  services with a public agency and is acting on behalf of the
   12  public agency as provided under s. 119.011(2).
   13         (b) “Public agency” means a state, county, district,
   14  authority, or municipal officer, or department, division, board,
   15  bureau, commission, or other separate unit of government created
   16  or established by law.
   17         (2) In addition to other contract requirements provided by
   18  law, each public agency contract for services must include:
   19         (a) The following statement, in substantially the following
   20  form, identifying the name and contact information of the public
   21  agency’s custodian of public records in at least 14-point,
   22  boldface type:
   23  
   24  THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 119.0701, FLORIDA STATUTES, APPLY TO
   25  THIS CONTRACT UNLESS ...(name of public agency)... HAS
   26  DETERMINED AND EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS CONTRACT THAT ...(name
   27  of individual, partnership, corporation, or business entity)...
   28  IS NOT A CONTRACTOR. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE
   29  APPLICATION OF SECTION 119.0701, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO YOUR DUTY
   30  TO PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT, CONTACT
   31  ...(name of custodian of public records)... AT ...(telephone
   32  number, e-mail address, and mailing address)....
   33  
   34         (b) A provision that requires the contractor to comply with
   35  public records laws, specifically to:
   36         1.(a) Keep and maintain public records that ordinarily and
   37  necessarily would be required by the public agency in order to
   38  perform the service.
   39         2.(b)Upon request from the public agency’s custodian of
   40  public records, provide the public with access to public records
   41  on the same terms and conditions that the public agency would
   42  provide the records and at a cost that does not exceed the cost
   43  provided in this chapter or as otherwise provided by law.
   44         3.(c) Ensure that public records that are exempt or
   45  confidential and exempt from public records disclosure
   46  requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law.
   47         4.(d)Keep and maintain public records, upon completion of
   48  the contract, which ordinarily would be required by the public
   49  agency in order to perform the service, or Meet all requirements
   50  for retaining public records and transfer, at no cost, to the
   51  public agency all public records in possession of the contractor
   52  upon termination of the contract and destroy any duplicate
   53  public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from
   54  public records disclosure requirements. Upon request from the
   55  public agency’s custodian of public records, all records stored
   56  electronically must be provided to the public agency in a format
   57  that is compatible with the information technology systems of
   58  the public agency.
   59         (3) A records request for public records relating to a
   60  public agency’s contract for services must be made directly to
   61  the public agency. If the public agency does not possess the
   62  requested records, the public agency shall immediately notify
   63  the contractor of the request, and the contractor must produce
   64  the records within a reasonable time. A contractor who fails to
   65  produce the records within a reasonable time is subject to
   66  penalties under s. 119.10.
   67         (4)(3) If a contractor does not comply with a public
   68  records request, the public agency shall enforce the contract
   69  provisions in accordance with the contract.
   70         (5) If a civil action is filed against a public agency or a
   71  contractor who continues to possess public records to compel
   72  production of such records relating to the public agency’s
   73  contract for services, the court shall assess and award against
   74  the responsible public agency or contractor the reasonable costs
   75  of enforcement, including reasonable attorney fees, if the party
   76  filing the action provided written notice of the public records
   77  request, including a statement that the contractor has not
   78  complied with the request. This notice must be sent by certified
   79  mail to the public agency’s custodian of public records at least
   80  3 business days before filing the action, and must be provided
   81  to the contractor if the contractor is a named party in the
   82  action.
   83         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
   84  
   85  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   86  And the title is amended as follows:
   87         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   88  and insert:
   89                        A bill to be entitled                      
   90         An act relating to public records; amending s.
   91         119.0701, F.S.; requiring that a public agency
   92         contract for services include a statement providing
   93         the name and contact information of the public
   94         agency’s custodian of records; prescribing the form of
   95         the statement; revising required provisions in a
   96         public agency contract for services regarding a
   97         contractor’s compliance with public records laws;
   98         requiring that a public records request relating to
   99         records for a public agency’s contract for services be
  100         made directly to the agency; requiring a contractor to
  101         produce requested records under specified
  102         circumstances; specifying applicable penalties for a
  103         contractor who fails to produce requested records;
  104         specifying circumstances under which a court may
  105         assess and award reasonable costs of enforcement
  106         against a public agency or contractor; providing an
  107         effective date.