Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1478
By Senator Torres
15-01857-20 20201478__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public records; amending s.
3 937.022, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
4 records requirements for the names, addresses,
5 telephone numbers, and other personal identifying
6 information of persons who are or have been included
7 in the Camo Alert Voluntary Registry; providing for
8 future legislative review and repeal of the exemption;
9 providing a statement of public necessity; providing a
10 contingent effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
15 937.022, Florida Statutes, as created by SB ____, 2020 Regular
16 Session, is amended to read:
17 937.022 Missing Endangered Persons Information
18 Clearinghouse.—
19 (3) The clearinghouse shall:
20 (d)1. Establish and maintain the Camo Alert Voluntary
21 Registry, a voluntary registration system to manage the
22 voluntary registration of at-risk veterans by a veteran or his
23 or her legal guardian. Only those veterans who have voluntarily
24 requested to be included in the Camo Alert system shall be
25 included in the Camo Alert Voluntary Registry. The system shall
26 also provide for the removal and expungement of an at-risk
27 veteran’s registration and information from the registry upon
28 written request from the veteran or his or her legal guardian
29 within 30 days after the clearinghouse receives the written
30 request.
31 2. The name, address, telephone number, and other personal
32 identifying information of a person who is or has been included
33 in the Camo Alert Voluntary Registry is confidential and exempt
34 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
35 Constitution. This exemption is not waived by the release of
36 information about a listed person when a Camo Alert is issued.
37 This subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset
38 Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
39 on October 2, 2025, unless reviewed and saved from repeal by the
40 Legislature.
41 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
42 necessity that the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and
43 other personal identifying information of persons who are or
44 have been included in the Camo Alert Voluntary Registry be made
45 confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and
46 s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Such information
47 is a private matter. Public knowledge of such information could
48 lead to discrimination against at-risk veterans, could
49 discourage at-risk veterans from seeking the benefits of being
50 included in the registry, and could compromise the therapeutic
51 process. An at-risk veteran may not want his or her status as an
52 at-risk person available to the public, and a lack of
53 confidentiality could discourage him or her from registering.
54 Also, an at-risk veteran may be involved in treatment, and
55 therapeutic and treatment programs cannot operate efficiently
56 and effectively if at-risk veterans are reluctant to participate
57 because their identities as at-risk persons would be subject to
58 inspection and review. The Legislature finds that the harm that
59 may result from the release of the names, addresses, telephone
60 numbers, and other personal identifying information of such
61 persons outweighs any public benefit that may be derived from
62 the disclosure of the information.
63 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
64 SB ____ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
65 is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
66 thereof and becomes a law.