Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1084
By Senator DiCeglie
18-00777-26 20261084__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public records; amending s.
3 119.071, F.S.; defining the term “state attorney’s
4 office or Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal
5 support staff”; providing an exemption from public
6 records requirements for the personal identifying and
7 location information of current state attorney’s
8 office and Office of Statewide Prosecution nonlegal
9 support staff and the spouses and children of such
10 staff; providing for future legislative review and
11 repeal of the exemption; providing for retroactive
12 application; amending s. 744.21031, F.S.; conforming a
13 cross-reference; providing a statement of public
14 necessity; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section
19 119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
20 119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of
21 public records.—
22 (4) AGENCY PERSONNEL INFORMATION.—
23 (d)1. For purposes of this paragraph, the term:
24 a. “Home addresses” means the dwelling location at which an
25 individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing
26 address, street address, parcel identification number, plot
27 identification number, legal property description, neighborhood
28 name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other descriptive
29 property information that may reveal the home address.
30 b. “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to
31 the following class codes: 8140, 8150, 8310, and 8320.
32 c. “State attorney’s office or Office of Statewide
33 Prosecution nonlegal support staff” means an employee of a state
34 attorney’s office or the Office of Statewide Prosecution
35 assigned to the following class codes: 6031, 6032, 6033, 6034,
36 6035, 6141, 6142, 6151, 6152, 6153, 6154, 6155, 6161, 6162,
37 6163, 6171, 6172, 6173, 6174, 6180, 6211, 6212, 6213, 6214,
38 6215, 6326, 6327, 6331, 6332, 6333, 6341, 6342, 6343, 6344,
39 6345, 6349, 6350, 6391, 6392, 6393, 6395, 6407, 6408, 6409,
40 6417, 6418, 6441, 6442, 6443, 6444, 6491, 6492, 6493, 6495,
41 6531, 6532, 6533, 6534, 6541, 6542, 6543, 6544, 6545, 6549,
42 6561, 6562, 6563, 6564, 6566, 6571, 6572, 6573, 6615, 6616,
43 6801, 6909, 6910, or 6911.
44 d. “Telephone numbers” includes home telephone numbers,
45 personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone
46 numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal
47 communications devices.
48 2.a. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
49 and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement
50 personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by
51 a law enforcement agency, including correctional and
52 correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of
53 Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of
54 abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, theft, or other criminal
55 activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties
56 are to support the investigation of child abuse or neglect, and
57 personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments
58 whose responsibilities include revenue collection and
59 enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home
60 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
61 places of employment of the spouses and children of such
62 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
63 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
64 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
65 Constitution.
66 b. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
67 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
68 personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties
69 include the investigation of fraud, theft, workers’ compensation
70 coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal
71 activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the
72 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
73 places of employment of the spouses and children of such
74 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
75 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
76 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
77 Constitution.
78 c. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
79 and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
80 personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of
81 Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation
82 of fraud, theft, other related criminal activities, or state
83 regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,
84 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
85 the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
86 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
87 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
88 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
89 d. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
90 and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in
91 compliance with s. 633.408; the names, home addresses, telephone
92 numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment
93 of the spouses and children of such firefighters; and the names
94 and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
95 children of such firefighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
96 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
97 e. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
98 numbers of current or former justices of the Supreme Court,
99 district court of appeal judges, circuit court judges, and
100 county court judges and current judicial assistants; the names,
101 home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
102 employment of the spouses and children of current or former
103 justices and judges and current judicial assistants; and the
104 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
105 by the children of current or former justices and judges and of
106 current judicial assistants are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
107 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph
108 is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in
109 accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2,
110 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment
111 by the Legislature.
112 f. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
113 and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant
114 state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide
115 prosecutors, or current state attorney’s office or Office of
116 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff; the names, home
117 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
118 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
119 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide
120 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors, or current
121 state attorney’s office or Office of Statewide Prosecution
122 nonlegal support staff; and the names and locations of schools
123 and day care facilities attended by the children of current or
124 former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide
125 prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors, or current
126 state attorney’s office or Office of Statewide Prosecution
127 nonlegal support staff are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
128 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph
129 is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in
130 accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2,
131 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment
132 by the Legislature.
133 g. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
134 numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
135 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
136 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
137 hearing officers; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
138 dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and
139 children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
140 compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
141 of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
142 hearing officers; and the names and locations of schools and day
143 care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,
144 special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,
145 administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative
146 Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are
147 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
148 Constitution.
149 h. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
150 and photographs of current or former human resource, labor
151 relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,
152 managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency
153 or water management district whose duties include hiring and
154 firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or
155 other personnel-related duties; the names, home addresses,
156 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
157 the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
158 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
159 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
160 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
161 i. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
162 and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;
163 the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
164 and places of employment of the spouses and children of such
165 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
166 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
167 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
168 Constitution.
169 j. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
170 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
171 guardians ad litem, as defined in s. 39.01; the names, home
172 addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
173 employment of the spouses and children of such persons; and the
174 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
175 by the children of such persons are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
176 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
177 k. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
178 and photographs of current or former juvenile probation
179 officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention
180 superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile
181 justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention
182 officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,
183 juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,
184 juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor
185 supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior
186 human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation
187 therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of
188 Juvenile Justice; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
189 dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children
190 of such personnel; and the names and locations of schools and
191 day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel
192 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
193 Constitution.
194 l. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
195 and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant
196 public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,
197 and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the
198 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
199 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
200 former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal
201 conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal
202 conflict and civil regional counsel; and the names and locations
203 of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
204 current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders,
205 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant
206 criminal conflict and civil regional counsel are exempt from s.
207 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
208 m. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
209 and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors
210 of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the
211 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
212 places of employment of the spouses and children of such current
213 or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and
214 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
215 children of such current or former investigators and inspectors
216 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
217 Constitution.
218 n. The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of
219 birth of county tax collectors; the names, home addresses,
220 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
221 the spouses and children of such tax collectors; and the names
222 and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
223 children of such tax collectors are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
224 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
225 o. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
226 and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department
227 of Health whose duties include, or result in, the determination
228 or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability
229 benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed
230 against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health
231 care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the
232 Department of Health; the names, home addresses, telephone
233 numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses
234 and children of such personnel; and the names and locations of
235 schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such
236 personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
237 the State Constitution.
238 p. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
239 and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner
240 consultants who are retained by an agency or current or former
241 employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties
242 result in a determination of a person’s skill and safety to
243 practice a licensed profession; the names, home addresses,
244 telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
245 the spouses and children of such consultants or their employees;
246 and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities
247 attended by the children of such consultants or employees are
248 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
249 Constitution.
250 q. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
251 and photographs of current or former emergency medical
252 technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the
253 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
254 places of employment of the spouses and children of such
255 emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and
256 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
257 children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are
258 exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
259 Constitution.
260 r. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
261 and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an
262 agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit
263 department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,
264 fraud, abuse, theft, exploitation, or other activities that
265 could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;
266 the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
267 and places of employment of spouses and children of such
268 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
269 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
270 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
271 Constitution.
272 s. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
273 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
274 supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction
275 treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,
276 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
277 spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
278 locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
279 children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
280 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this
281 sub-subparagraph, the term “addiction treatment facility” means
282 a county government, or agency thereof, that is licensed
283 pursuant to s. 397.401 and provides substance abuse prevention,
284 intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed
285 service component described in s. 397.311(27).
286 t. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
287 and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
288 supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center
289 that meets the standards of s. 39.3035(2) and fulfills the
290 screening requirement of s. 39.3035(3), and the members of a
291 Child Protection Team as described in s. 39.303 whose duties
292 include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual
293 abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation
294 or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case
295 review team; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
296 photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
297 spouses and children of such personnel and members; and the
298 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
299 by the children of such personnel and members are exempt from s.
300 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
301 u. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
302 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
303 staff and domestic violence advocates, as defined in s.
304 90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the
305 Department of Children and Families under chapter 39; the names,
306 home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates
307 of birth, and photographs of the spouses and children of such
308 personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
309 facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
310 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
311 Constitution.
312 v. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
313 and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators
314 of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the
315 names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
316 places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
317 former inspectors or investigators; and the names and locations
318 of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
319 current or former inspectors or investigators are exempt from s.
320 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This
321 sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review
322 Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on
323 October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
324 reenactment by the Legislature.
325 w. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
326 and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county
327 attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant
328 city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys; the names, home
329 addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
330 places of employment of the spouses and children of current
331 county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county
332 attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy
333 city attorneys; and the names and locations of schools and day
334 care facilities attended by the children of current county
335 attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys,
336 city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city
337 attorneys are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
338 the State Constitution. This exemption does not apply to a
339 county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county
340 attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city
341 attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public
342 office. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government
343 Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
344 repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from
345 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
346 x. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
347 and photographs of current or former commissioners of the
348 Florida Gaming Control Commission; the names, home addresses,
349 telephone numbers, dates of birth, photographs, and places of
350 employment of the spouses and children of such current or former
351 commissioners; and the names and locations of schools and day
352 care facilities attended by the children of such current or
353 former commissioners are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),
354 Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is
355 subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance
356 with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029,
357 unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
358 Legislature.
359 y. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
360 and photographs of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy
361 clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court
362 personnel; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates
363 of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children
364 of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the
365 circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel; and the
366 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
367 by the children of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy
368 clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court
369 personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
370 the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the
371 Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
372 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and
373 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
374 z.(I) As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term:
375 (A) “Congressional member” means a person who is elected to
376 serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives
377 or is elected or appointed to serve as a member of the United
378 States Senate.
379 (B) “Partial home address” means the dwelling location at
380 which an individual resides and includes the physical address,
381 mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,
382 plot identification number, legal property description,
383 neighborhood name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other
384 descriptive property information that may reveal the partial
385 home address, except for the city and zip code.
386 (C) “Public officer” means a person who holds one of the
387 following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief
388 Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,
389 state representative, state senator, property appraiser,
390 supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board
391 member, mayor, city commissioner, or county commissioner.
392 (II) The following information is exempt from s. 119.07(1)
393 and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
394 (A) The partial home addresses of a current congressional
395 member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
396 (B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional member
397 or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
398 (C) The name, home addresses, telephone numbers, and date
399 of birth of a minor child of a current congressional member or
400 public officer and the name and location of the school or day
401 care facility attended by the minor child.
402 (III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open
403 Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and
404 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and
405 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
406 3.a. An agency that is the custodian of the information
407 specified in subparagraph 2. and that is not the employer of the
408 officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in
409 subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that
410 information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other
411 person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a
412 written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption
413 to the custodial agency. The request must state under oath the
414 statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and
415 confirm the individual’s status as a party eligible for exempt
416 status.
417 b. An agency that is the custodian of information specified
418 in sub-subparagraph 2.z. and that is not the employer of the
419 congressional member, public officer, or other person specified
420 in sub-subparagraph 2.z. must maintain the exempt status of that
421 information only if an individual requests the maintenance of an
422 exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. on the basis of
423 eligibility as a current congressional member or public officer
424 and his or her spouse or child submits, as part of the written
425 and notarized request required by sub-subparagraph a., the date
426 of the congressional member’s or public officer’s election or
427 appointment to public office, the date on which that office is
428 next subject to election, and, if applicable, the date on which
429 the current congressional member’s or public officer’s minor
430 child reaches the age of majority. The custodian must maintain
431 an exemption granted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. until the
432 qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the
433 person subject to the exemption.
434 4.a. A county property appraiser, as defined in s.
435 192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.
436 192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for
437 maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must
438 comply by removing the name of the individual with exempt status
439 and the instrument number or Official Records book and page
440 number identifying the property with the exempt status from all
441 publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser
442 or tax collector. For written requests received on or before
443 July 1, 2021, a county property appraiser or county tax
444 collector must comply with this sub-subparagraph by October 1,
445 2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may
446 not remove the street address, legal description, or other
447 information identifying real property within the agency’s
448 records so long as a name or personal information otherwise
449 exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is
450 not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the
451 public records of the agency.
452 b. Any information restricted from public display,
453 inspection, or copying under sub-subparagraph a. must be
454 provided to the individual whose information was removed.
455 5. An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other
456 person specified in subparagraph 2. may submit a written request
457 for the release of his or her exempt information to the
458 custodial agency. The written request must be notarized and must
459 specify the information to be released and the party authorized
460 to receive the information. Upon receipt of the written request,
461 the custodial agency must release the specified information to
462 the party authorized to receive such information.
463 6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information
464 held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the
465 exemption.
466 7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be
467 disclosed pursuant to s. 28.2221 to a title insurer authorized
468 pursuant to s. 624.401 and its affiliates as defined in s.
469 624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as
470 defined in s. 626.841(1) or (2), respectively; or an attorney
471 duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing
472 with The Florida Bar.
473 8. The exempt status of a home address contained in the
474 Official Records is maintained only during the period when a
475 protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon
476 conveyance of real property after October 1, 2021, and when such
477 real property no longer constitutes a protected party’s home
478 address as defined in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the protected party
479 must submit a written request to release the removed information
480 to the county recorder. The written request to release the
481 removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a
482 protected party’s request for release is pursuant to a
483 conveyance of his or her dwelling location, and must specify the
484 Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk’s
485 file number for each document containing the information to be
486 released.
487 9. Upon the death of a protected party as verified by a
488 certified copy of a death certificate or court order, any party
489 can request the county recorder to release a protected
490 decedent’s removed information unless there is a related request
491 on file with the county recorder for continued removal of the
492 decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise
493 prohibited by statute or by court order. The written request to
494 release the removed information upon the death of a protected
495 party must attach the certified copy of a death certificate or
496 court order and must be notarized, must confirm the request for
497 release is due to the death of a protected party, and must
498 specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument
499 number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the
500 information to be released. A fee may not be charged for the
501 release of any document pursuant to such request.
502 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
503 744.21031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
504 744.21031 Public records exemption.—
505 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
506 (c) “Telephone numbers” has the same meaning as provided in
507 s. 119.071(4)(d)1.d s. 119.071(4)(d)1.c.
508 Section 3. The Legislature finds that it is a public
509 necessity that the home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
510 numbers of current state attorney’s office and Office of
511 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff; the names, home
512 addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
513 employment of the spouses and children of such nonlegal support
514 staff; and the names and locations of schools and day care
515 facilities attended by the children of such nonlegal support
516 staff be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s.
517 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Such personal
518 identifying and location information can be used as a tool to
519 perpetrate fraud against an individual or to acquire sensitive
520 personal, financial, medical, and familial information, the
521 release of which could cause great financial harm to the
522 individual. Current state attorney’s office and Office of
523 Statewide Prosecution nonlegal support staff, in the course of
524 their employment, may assist in the review of criminal
525 prosecution cases; assist assistant state attorneys and
526 assistant statewide prosecutors; maintain contact with victims,
527 witnesses, criminal defense attorneys, judicial assistants, and
528 law enforcement; and possess and handle sensitive criminal
529 justice information and personal identifiable information, such
530 as biometric data, identity history data, biographic data,
531 property data, and case or incident history data, under strict
532 security protocols. Such nonlegal support staff may incur the
533 ill will of litigants, the accused, the convicted, and their
534 associates and families, thus making nonlegal support staff and
535 their spouses and children targets for acts of revenge. If such
536 identifying and location information is released, the safety of
537 current nonlegal support staff and their spouses and children
538 could be jeopardized. For these reasons, the Legislature finds
539 that it is a public necessity that such information be made
540 exempt from public records requirements.
541 Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.