Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1652
       
       
        
       By Senator Grall
       
       
       
       
       
       29-00955-25                                           20251652__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         119.0714, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for information in a pleading, a
    5         request for relief, or other document which has been
    6         stricken by the court in a noncriminal case if the
    7         court makes specific findings; providing for future
    8         legislative review and repeal of the exemption;
    9         providing a statement of public necessity; providing a
   10         contingent effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (1) of
   15  section 119.0714, Florida Statutes, to read:
   16         119.0714 Court files; court records; official records.—
   17         (1) COURT FILES.—Nothing in this chapter shall be construed
   18  to exempt from s. 119.07(1) a public record that was made a part
   19  of a court file and that is not specifically closed by order of
   20  court, except:
   21         (m)1. Any information in a document which has been stricken
   22  by the court in a noncriminal case if the court finds that such
   23  information:
   24         a. Is immaterial, impertinent, or untrue; and
   25         b. Would defame or cause unwarranted damage to the name or
   26  reputation of an individual or jeopardize the safety of an
   27  individual.
   28         2. The public records exemption provided in this paragraph
   29  any document stricken by the court in noncriminal cases before,
   30  on, or after the effective date of this exemption.
   31         3. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset
   32  Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
   33  on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
   34  through reenactment by the Legislature.
   35         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   36  necessity that immaterial, impertinent, or untrue information
   37  contained in a document which has been stricken by a court in a
   38  noncriminal case be made confidential and exempt from s.
   39  119.0714(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the
   40  State Constitution and that such exemption be applied
   41  retroactively. The Legislature finds that such information would
   42  defame or cause unwarranted damages to the name and reputation
   43  of an individual, and that such information may jeopardize the
   44  safety of an individual. The Legislature further finds that the
   45  harm that may result from the release of such stricken
   46  information outweighs any public benefit that may be derived
   47  from the disclosure of the stricken information.
   48         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   49  SB 1650 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   50  is adopted in the same session or an extension thereof and
   51  becomes a law.