Florida Senate - 2024                               CS for SB 26
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
       and Senators Rouson and Davis
       
       
       
       
       585-03006-24                                            202426c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; creating s. 16.64,
    3         F.S.; providing an exemption from public records
    4         requirements for the personal identifying information
    5         in an application submitted to the Department of Legal
    6         Affairs by, or on behalf of, a person seeking
    7         compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and
    8         Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program;
    9         providing for future legislative review and repeal of
   10         the exemption; providing a statement of public
   11         necessity; providing a contingent effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 16.64, Florida Statutes, is created to
   16  read:
   17         16.64 Applications for compensation through the Dozier
   18  School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation
   19  Program; public records exemption.—Any name, date of birth,
   20  driver license number, social security number, home address,
   21  mailing address, telephone number, or electronic mail address in
   22  an application submitted to the Department of Legal Affairs by,
   23  or on behalf of, a person seeking compensation through the
   24  Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation
   25  Program is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
   26  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, and may not be
   27  disclosed except upon court order. This paragraph is subject to
   28  the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.
   29  119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless
   30  reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
   31  Legislature.
   32         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   33  necessity that any name, date of birth, driver license number,
   34  social security number, home address, mailing address, telephone
   35  number, or electronic mail address in an application submitted
   36  to the Department of Legal Affairs by, or on behalf of, a person
   37  seeking compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and
   38  Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program be made
   39  confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and
   40  s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution, except upon court
   41  order. The Legislature finds that the release of such personal
   42  identifying information, except upon court order, could subject
   43  the persons applying for compensation through the Dozier School
   44  for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program to
   45  further trauma should their status as a victim of the Dozier
   46  School for Boys or the Okeechobee School, or the nature of the
   47  abuse each victim suffered there, be made public, and to the
   48  possibility of harassment. The Legislature further finds that a
   49  victim of the Dozier School for Boys or the Okeechobee School
   50  may be more likely to come forward and apply for compensation
   51  through the Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim
   52  Compensation Program if the personal identifying information in
   53  the application is protected from public disclosure. The
   54  Legislature finds that the harm that may result from the release
   55  of such information outweighs the public benefit that may be
   56  derived from the disclosure of such information.
   57         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   58  SB 24 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   59  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   60  thereof and becomes a law.