Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 528
       
       
        
       By Senator Pizzo
       
       
       
       
       
       37-01228A-24                                           2024528__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         696.031, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for certain information provided
    5         to a property appraiser as part of a title fraud
    6         prevention pilot program; providing for future
    7         legislative review and repeal; providing a statement
    8         of public necessity; providing a contingent effective
    9         date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Present subsection (6) of section 696.031,
   14  Florida Statutes, as created by SB ___ or similar legislation,
   15  2024 Regular Session, is redesignated as subsection (7), and a
   16  new subsection (6) is added to that section, to read:
   17         696.031 Title fraud prevention through sales contract
   18  notification services; pilot program.—
   19         (6)(a) The name, mailing address, e-mail address, and phone
   20  number of a seller submitted to a property appraiser pursuant to
   21  this section are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
   22  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   23         (b) This subsection is subject to the Open Government
   24  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
   25  repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from
   26  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   27         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   28  necessity that the name, mailing address, e-mail address, and
   29  phone number of a seller submitted to a property appraiser
   30  pursuant to s. 696.031, Florida Statutes, be made confidential
   31  and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes and s. 24(a),
   32  Art. I of the State Constitution. The provisions of s. 696.031,
   33  Florida Statutes, are created to protect real property owners
   34  from fraud in real estate transactions by informing an owner
   35  that a contract for the sale or purchase of his or her real
   36  estate has been executed. Information required to be provided to
   37  the property appraiser pursuant to s. 696.031, Florida Statutes,
   38  is of a sensitive, personal nature, and disclosure of such
   39  information about a property seller is an invasion of that
   40  person’s privacy. Making public the private information of a
   41  property seller could have a chilling effect on real property
   42  sales.
   43         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   44  SB ___ or other similar legislation takes effect, if such
   45  legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an
   46  extension thereof and becomes a law.