Florida Senate - 2025                             CS for SB 1652
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Judiciary; and Senator Grall
       
       
       
       
       
       590-02606-25                                          20251652c1
    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 a matter 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 a statement
    8         of public necessity; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (1) of
   13  section 119.0714, Florida Statutes, to read:
   14         119.0714 Court files; court records; official records.—
   15         (1) COURT FILES.—Nothing in this chapter shall be construed
   16  to exempt from s. 119.07(1) a public record that was made a part
   17  of a court file and that is not specifically closed by order of
   18  court, except:
   19         (m) Any matter in a pleading, a request for relief, or
   20  other document that has been stricken by the court in a
   21  noncriminal case pursuant to the rules of court if the court
   22  finds that such matter:
   23         1. Is immaterial, impertinent, or sham; and
   24         2. Would defame or cause unwarranted damage to the good
   25  name or reputation of an individual or jeopardize the safety of
   26  an individual.
   27         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   28  necessity that an immaterial, impertinent, or sham matter that
   29  would defame or cause unwarranted damage to the good name or
   30  reputation of an individual or jeopardize the safety of an
   31  individual, and that has been stricken by a court in a
   32  noncriminal case, be made confidential and exempt from s.
   33  119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the
   34  State Constitution. The Legislature finds that such stricken
   35  matters, if they remain in the public record, cause unwarranted
   36  and ongoing harm to affected persons and serve no identifiable
   37  public purpose. The Legislature further finds that the harm that
   38  may result from the release of such stricken matters outweighs
   39  any public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of
   40  the stricken matter.
   41         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.