Florida Senate - 2024                   (PROPOSED BILL) SPB 7056
       
       
        
       FOR CONSIDERATION By the Committee on Education Pre-K -12
       
       
       
       
       
       581-02720-24                                          20247056pb
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s. 30.15,
    3         F.S.; providing that certain information relating to
    4         school guardians which is held by the Department of
    5         Law Enforcement, a law enforcement agency, a school
    6         district, or a charter school pursuant to a specified
    7         provision is exempt from public records requirements;
    8         providing for future legislative review and repeal of
    9         the exemption; providing a statement of public
   10         necessity; providing a contingent effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 30.15,
   15  Florida Statutes, to read:
   16         30.15 Powers, duties, and obligations.—
   17         (6)(a) Any information held by the Department of Law
   18  Enforcement or a law enforcement agency, school district, or
   19  charter school pursuant to subparagraph (1)(k)3. which would
   20  identify an individual who has been certified to serve as a
   21  school guardian is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I
   22  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   25  repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from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 any information held by the Department of Law
   29  Enforcement or a law enforcement agency, school district, or
   30  charter school pursuant to subparagraph s. 30.15(1)(k)3. which
   31  would identify an individual who has been certified to serve as
   32  a school guardian is exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes,
   33  and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. School
   34  security and student safety are fundamental priorities in this
   35  state as is the safety of people serving or who have served as
   36  school guardians. School guardians serve a critical role as
   37  safe-school officers and first responders, and their presence on
   38  school grounds serves as a deterrent against incidents
   39  threatening the lives of students and school personnel.
   40  Disclosure of the identity of school guardians, whether a school
   41  guardian is present on a school campus, and the number of school
   42  guardians on any school campus may compromise their safety and
   43  adversely affect their ability to adequately respond to an
   44  active assailant incident. Accordingly, it is necessary to
   45  protect the identity of school guardians from public records
   46  requirements in order to effectively and efficiently implement
   47  the purpose and intent of school guardian programs.
   48         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   49  SB 1356 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   50  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   51  thereof and becomes a law.