Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1146
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì636522ÈÎ636522                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/01/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       (Burgess) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 23.44,
    6  Florida Statutes, as created by SB 1144 or similar legislation,
    7  2025 Regular Session, to read:
    8         23.44 Hope Florida Office; eligibility to participate;
    9  duties.—
   10         (5)(a) A participant's personal identifying information
   11  contained in records held by the office or any other agency
   12  designated to participate in the administration of the program
   13  before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption is
   14  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   15  Constitution.
   16         (b) This subsection is subject to the Open Government
   17  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
   18  repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from
   19  repeal by the Legislature.
   20         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   21  necessity to make the personal identifying information of Hope
   22  Florida participants contained in records held by the Office of
   23  Hope Florida or any other agency that participates in the Hope
   24  Florida program exempt from public records requirements. The
   25  Hope Florida program collects personal identifying information
   26  regarding program participants in order to fulfill its mission
   27  to assist and serve Florida residents who are in vulnerable
   28  situations and subject to abuse or exploitation. The Hope
   29  Florida program collects information regarding its participants'
   30  employment status, housing status, domestic situation, and
   31  access to medical care and other basic needs. As such,
   32  information provided would be personal, sensitive information
   33  related to a person's physical or mental health or income
   34  status. Matters of personal health and financial status are
   35  traditionally private concerns, and for this reason, a person's
   36  expectation of a right to privacy regarding these matters
   37  necessitates the exemption. Furthermore, the exemption ensures
   38  the protection of the participant's identity, who may be subject
   39  to abuse or exploitation as a result of his or her vulnerable
   40  situation. If the participant's personal identifying information
   41  were not protected, the program's mission would be significantly
   42  impaired because applicants would be less inclined to
   43  participate if their personal information would be made
   44  available to the public. The Legislature finds that the harm
   45  that may result from the release of such information outweighs
   46  the public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of
   47  the information.
   48         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   49  SB 1144 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.
   52  
   53  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   54  And the title is amended as follows:
   55         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   56  and insert:
   57                        A bill to be entitled                      
   58         An act relating to public records; amending s. 23.44,
   59         F.S.; providing an exemption from public records
   60         requirements for the personal identifying information
   61         of a participant in the Hope Florida program contained
   62         in records held by the Office of Hope Florida or any
   63         other agency designated to participate in the
   64         administering the program; providing retroactive
   65         application; providing for future legislative review
   66         and repeal; providing a statement of public necessity;
   67         providing a contingent effective date.