Florida Senate - 2024                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 26
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì737988sÎ737988                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/06/2024           .                                
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       The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       (Rouson) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 16.64, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         16.64 Applications for compensation through the Dozier
    8  School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation
    9  Program; public records exemption.—Any name, date of birth,
   10  driver license number, social security number, home address,
   11  mailing address, telephone number, or electronic mail address in
   12  an application submitted to the Department of Legal Affairs by,
   13  or on behalf of, a person seeking compensation through the
   14  Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation
   15  Program is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
   16  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, and may not be
   17  disclosed except upon court order. This paragraph is subject to
   18  the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.
   19  119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless
   20  reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
   21  Legislature.
   22         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   23  necessity that any name, date of birth, driver license number,
   24  social security number, home address, mailing address, telephone
   25  number, or electronic mail address in an application submitted
   26  to the Department of Legal Affairs by, or on behalf of, a person
   27  seeking compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and
   28  Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program be made
   29  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and
   30  s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution, except upon court
   31  order. The Legislature finds that the release of such personal
   32  identifying information, except upon court order, could subject
   33  the persons applying for compensation through the Dozier School
   34  for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program to
   35  further trauma should their status as a victim of the Dozier
   36  School for Boys or the Okeechobee School, or the nature of the
   37  abuse each victim suffered there, be made public, and to the
   38  possibility of harassment. The Legislature further finds that a
   39  victim of the Dozier School for Boys or the Okeechobee School
   40  may be more likely to come forward and apply for compensation
   41  through the Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim
   42  Compensation Program if the personal identifying information in
   43  the application is protected from public disclosure. The
   44  Legislature finds that the harm that may result from the release
   45  of such information outweighs the public benefit that may be
   46  derived from the disclosure of such information.
   47         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   48  SB 24 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   49  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   50  thereof and becomes a law.
   51  
   52  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   53  And the title is amended as follows:
   54         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   55  and insert:
   56                        A bill to be entitled                      
   57         An act relating to public records; creating s. 16.64,
   58         F.S.; providing an exemption from public records
   59         requirements for the personal identifying information
   60         in an application submitted to the Department of Legal
   61         Affairs by, or on behalf of, a person seeking
   62         compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and
   63         Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program;
   64         providing for future legislative review and repeal of
   65         the exemption; providing a statement of public
   66         necessity; providing a contingent effective date.