Florida Senate - 2017                             CS for SB 1788
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Bracy
       
       
       
       
       
       591-03935-17                                          20171788c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; creating s.
    3         787.065, F.S.; providing for closed hearings in
    4         certain civil actions upon the request of victims, or
    5         the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking on behalf
    6         of the victims, of human trafficking; providing for
    7         redaction and sealing of personal identifying
    8         information of victims of human trafficking upon
    9         request; exempting from public records requirements
   10         the redacted and sealed information; providing for
   11         future review and repeal of the exemption; exempting
   12         from public records requirements the personal
   13         identifying information of victims of human
   14         trafficking held by the council; providing for future
   15         review and repeal of the exemption; providing a
   16         statement of public necessity; providing a contingent
   17         effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 787.065, Florida Statutes, is created to
   22  read:
   23         787.065 Public records exemption for victims of human
   24  trafficking.—
   25         (1)CLOSED HEARINGS.—At the request of the victim, or the
   26  Statewide Council on Human Trafficking on behalf of the victim,
   27  court hearings conducted pursuant to s. 787.063 shall be closed
   28  to the public, and any personal identifying information of the
   29  victim of human trafficking shall be redacted or sealed in the
   30  court file and online docket for such hearings. Such redacted or
   31  sealed information in the court file and online docket is
   32  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I
   33  of the State Constitution. This subsection is subject to the
   34  Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
   35  and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2022, unless reviewed and
   36  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   37         (2) COUNCIL RECORDS.—At the victim’s request, any personal
   38  identifying information of the victim of human trafficking held
   39  by the council under s. 787.063 is confidential and exempt from
   40  s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   41  This subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review
   42  Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on
   43  October 2, 2022, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
   44  reenactment by the Legislature.
   45         Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that hearings
   46  conducted pursuant to s. 787.063, Florida Statutes, for victims
   47  of human trafficking should be closed to the public at the
   48  request of the victim or the Statewide Council on Human
   49  Trafficking on behalf of the victim. Preventing public access to
   50  such hearings will allow victims of human trafficking to seek
   51  relief in the courts of the state without exposing their
   52  victimization to the public and to protect their identities as
   53  they continue to recover from their time as victims of human
   54  trafficking. For these reasons, the Legislature finds that it is
   55  a public necessity that, upon the request of the victim or the
   56  council on behalf of the victim, hearings conducted pursuant to
   57  s. 787.063, Florida Statutes, be closed to the public.
   58         (2)The Legislature further finds that any personal
   59  identifying information of victims of human trafficking which,
   60  upon request, is redacted or sealed in the court files and
   61  online dockets of actions brought by, or on behalf of, victims
   62  of human trafficking under s. 787.063, Florida Statutes, and any
   63  personal identifying information held by the council should be
   64  made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida
   65  Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The
   66  identity of these victims and the details of their victimization
   67  are information of a sensitive, personal nature. As such, this
   68  exemption serves to minimize the trauma to victims because the
   69  release of such information would compound the tragedy already
   70  visited upon their lives and would be defamatory, or cause
   71  unwarranted damage, to the good name and reputation of the
   72  victims. For these reasons, the Legislature finds that it is a
   73  public necessity that any personal identifying information of
   74  victims of human trafficking which, upon request, is redacted or
   75  sealed in the court files and online dockets of actions by
   76  victims of human trafficking under s. 787.063, Florida Statutes,
   77  and any personal identifying information held by the council be
   78  made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida
   79  Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution.
   80         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   81  SB 972 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   82  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   83  thereof and becomes a law.