Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 980
       
       
        
       By Senator Harrell
       
       
       
       
       
       25-00893B-19                                           2019980__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         119.0714, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for all information contained in
    5         a petition for certain protective injunctions, and any
    6         related affidavit, notice of hearing, and temporary
    7         injunction, until the respondent has been personally
    8         served; providing a statement of public necessity;
    9         providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section
   14  119.0714, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         119.0714 Court files; court records; official records.—
   16         (1) COURT FILES.—Nothing in this chapter shall be construed
   17  to exempt from s. 119.07(1) a public record that was made a part
   18  of a court file and that is not specifically closed by order of
   19  court, except:
   20         (k)1. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an
   21  injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat
   22  violence, dating violence, sexual violence, stalking, or
   23  cyberstalking that is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at
   24  an ex parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of
   25  jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the
   26  sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being
   27  issued on or after July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
   28  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   29         2. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an injunction
   30  for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence,
   31  dating violence, sexual violence, stalking, or cyberstalking
   32  that is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex parte
   33  hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of jurisdiction,
   34  or dismissed for any reason having to do with the sufficiency of
   35  the petition itself without an injunction being issued before
   36  July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I
   37  of the State Constitution only upon request by an individual
   38  named in the petition as a respondent. The request must be in
   39  the form of a signed, legibly written request specifying the
   40  case name, case number, document heading, and page number. The
   41  request must be delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic
   42  transmission or in person to the clerk of the court. A fee may
   43  not be charged for such request.
   44         3. All information contained in a petition for an
   45  injunction against domestic violence, repeat violence, dating
   46  violence, sexual violence, stalking, or cyberstalking, and any
   47  affidavits, notice of hearing, and temporary injunction, is
   48  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I
   49  of the State Constitution until the respondent has been
   50  personally served with a copy of the petition for injunction,
   51  affidavits, notice of hearing, and temporary injunction.
   52         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   53  necessity that all information contained in a petition for an
   54  injunction against domestic violence, repeat violence, dating
   55  violence, sexual violence, stalking, or cyberstalking, and
   56  affidavits, notice of hearing, and temporary injunction, be made
   57  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and
   58  s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Release of such
   59  information before the respondent has been personally served
   60  with a copy of the petition, affidavits, notice of hearing, and
   61  temporary injunction could significantly threaten the physical
   62  safety and security of persons seeking protection through
   63  injunctive proceedings and their families, and of law
   64  enforcement tasked with serving the petition for injunction,
   65  affidavits, notice of hearing, and temporary injunction on the
   66  respondent. The harm that may result from the release of the
   67  information outweighs any public benefit that might result from
   68  public disclosure of the information.
   69         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.