Florida Senate - 2023 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 7020
Ì683188PÎ683188
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
.
.
.
.
.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
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21 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2028 2023, unless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.