Florida Senate - 2026                                    SB 1554
       
       
        
       By Senator Burgess
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01615A-26                                          20261554__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         499.0295, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for certain information contained
    5         in a public report published by the Department of
    6         Health relating to experimental treatment outcomes and
    7         safety signals; providing a statement of public
    8         necessity; providing a contingent effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section
   13  499.0295, Florida Statutes, as amended by SB ____, 2026 Regular
   14  Session, is amended to read:
   15         499.0295 Experimental treatments for terminal conditions
   16  and life-threatening rare diseases.—
   17         (6)
   18         (c) The department shall annually publish a public report
   19  of experimental treatment outcomes and safety signals in the
   20  aggregate. The health information and proprietary pricing
   21  information contained in the report is confidential and exempt
   22  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   23  Constitution.
   24         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   25  necessity that the health information and proprietary pricing
   26  information contained in the annual public report of
   27  experimental treatment outcomes and safety signals under s.
   28  499.0295, Florida Statutes, be made confidential and exempt from
   29  s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the
   30  State Constitution. The Legislature finds that the release of
   31  such information could harm patients with terminal conditions or
   32  life-threatening rare diseases by exposing extremely sensitive
   33  personal health data. The Legislature further finds that
   34  patients who pursue experimental treatments under the Promising
   35  Pathways Act have a strong expectation of privacy regarding
   36  their medical information and that the potential harm resulting
   37  from disclosure of such information outweighs any public benefit
   38  that may be derived from its release.
   39         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   40  SB ____ or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   41  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   42  thereof and becomes a law.