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18 repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from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.