Florida Senate - 2023                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 7020
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì683188PÎ683188                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/29/2023           .                                
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       The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       (Simon) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 943.082, Florida
    6  Statutes, is amended to read:
    7         943.082 School Safety Awareness Program.—
    8         (6) The identity of the reporting party received through
    9  the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool and held by the
   10  department, the Department of Education, law enforcement
   11  agencies, or school officials is confidential and exempt from s.
   12  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Any
   13  other information received through the mobile suspicious
   14  activity reporting tool and held by the department, the
   15  Department of Education, law enforcement agencies, or school
   16  officials is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
   17  the State Constitution. These exemptions apply to any such
   18  records held by these agencies before, on, or after the
   19  effective date of this act. This subsection is subject to the
   20  Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
   21  and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2028 2023, unless
   22  reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
   23  Legislature.
   24         Section 2. (1)The Legislature finds that it is a public
   25  necessity that the identity of a person reporting unsafe,
   26  potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities,
   27  or the threat of these activities, received through the mobile
   28  suspicious activity reporting tool and held by the Department of
   29  Education be made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1),
   30  Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State
   31  Constitution, if the reporting person provides his or her
   32  identity. The public records exemption for the identity of those
   33  individuals reporting potentially harmful or threatening
   34  activities as part of the School Safety Awareness Program
   35  encourages individuals to act and not be fearful that their
   36  identity will be revealed. Without the public records exemption,
   37  individuals reporting such activities might be less willing to
   38  report their knowledge of these possible activities to the
   39  appropriate authorities out of fear. Ensuring their identity is
   40  protected will encourage reporting, which could lead to law
   41  enforcement or other appropriate agencies intervening before an
   42  incident of mass violence occurs.
   43         (2)The Legislature also finds that it is a public
   44  necessity that any other information received through the mobile
   45  suspicious activity reporting tool through the School Safety
   46  Awareness Program and held by the Department of Education be
   47  made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
   48  Article I of the State Constitution. The public records
   49  exemption for any other information received through the mobile
   50  suspicious activity reporting tool protects information of a
   51  sensitive personal nature that, if disclosed, could be
   52  embarrassing. Without the public records exemption, individuals
   53  reporting such activities might be less willing to report their
   54  knowledge of these possible activities to the appropriate
   55  authorities out of fear and concern for their safety. The public
   56  records exemption will encourage reporting, which could lead to
   57  law enforcement or other appropriate agencies intervening before
   58  an incident of mass violence occurs. The public records
   59  exemption is also needed to protect the privacy of other
   60  individuals who are included in the report. After a report is
   61  made, law enforcement may find the report to be unfounded. For
   62  these reasons, the Legislature finds that it is a public
   63  necessity to protect any other information reported through the
   64  mobile suspicious activity reporting tool.
   65         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
   66  
   67  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   68  And the title is amended as follows:
   69         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   70  and insert:
   71                        A bill to be entitled                      
   72         An act relating to a review under the Open Government
   73         Sunset Review Act; amending s. 943.082, F.S.;
   74         expanding exemptions from public records requirements
   75         for the identity of a reporting party and any
   76         information received through the mobile suspicious
   77         activity reporting tool to include such information
   78         held by the Department of Education; providing for
   79         retroactivity of the exemption; providing for future
   80         legislative review and repeal; providing statements of
   81         public necessity; providing an effective date.