Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1472
       
       
        
       By Senator Burgess
       
       
       
       
       
       23-00209A-25                                          20251472__
    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 security guards held by the Department of Law
    5         Enforcement, a law enforcement agency, a school
    6         district, or a charter school is exempt from public
    7         records requirements; providing for future legislative
    8         review and repeal of the exemption; providing a
    9         statement of public necessity; providing a contingent
   10         effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 30.15, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         30.15 Powers, duties, and obligations.—
   17         (6) Any information held by the Department of Law
   18  Enforcement, a law enforcement agency, a school district, or a
   19  charter school which that would identify whether a person has
   20  been certified to serve as a school guardian or school security
   21  guard is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the
   22  State Constitution. This subsection is subject to the Open
   23  Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and
   24  shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030 2029, unless reviewed
   25  and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   26         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   27  necessity that any information held by the Department of Law
   28  Enforcement, a law enforcement agency, a school district, or a
   29  charter school which would identify whether an individual has
   30  been certified to serve as a school security guard is exempt
   31  from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of
   32  the State Constitution. School security and student safety are
   33  fundamental priorities in this state, as is the safety of people
   34  serving or who have served as school security guards. School
   35  security guards serve a critical role as safe-school officers
   36  and first responders, and their presence on school grounds
   37  serves as a deterrent against incidents threatening the lives of
   38  students and school personnel. Disclosure of the identity of
   39  persons certified as school security guards might undermine such
   40  deterrence and may compromise their safety along with the safety
   41  of students. The public disclosure of such information would
   42  also adversely affect their ability to respond adequately to an
   43  active assailant incident, as an assailant might be alerted in
   44  advance that a particular individual is certified as a school
   45  security guard. Furthermore, school security guards who have
   46  been appointed to that position might leave their appointment
   47  for a period of time while maintaining their certification and,
   48  thereafter, be reappointed at a future date. The safety of such
   49  persons would be compromised if their status as school security
   50  guards became public record by virtue of their continued
   51  certification. Accordingly, it is necessary to protect the
   52  identity of persons certified as school security guards from
   53  public records requirements in order to implement effectively
   54  and efficiently the purpose and intent of school security guard
   55  programs.
   56         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   57  SB 1470 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   58  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   59  thereof and becomes a law.