Florida Senate - 2026 SB 210
By Senator Sharief
35-00469-26 2026210__
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 petitions, and the contents
5 thereof, for injunctions for protection against
6 serious violence by a known person; providing an
7 exemption from public records requirements for
8 information that can be used to identify a petitioner
9 or respondent in such a petition for an injunction;
10 providing a statement of public necessity; providing a
11 contingent effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section
16 119.0714, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
17 119.0714 Court files; court records; official records.—
18 (1) COURT FILES.—Nothing in this chapter shall be construed
19 to exempt from s. 119.07(1) a public record that was made a part
20 of a court file and that is not specifically closed by order of
21 court, except:
22 (k)1. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an
23 injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat
24 violence, dating violence, sexual violence, serious violence by
25 a known person, stalking, or cyberstalking which that is
26 dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex parte hearing
27 due to failure to state a claim or lack of jurisdiction, or
28 dismissed for any reason having to do with the sufficiency of
29 the petition itself without an injunction being issued on or
30 after July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),
31 Art. I of the State Constitution.
32 2. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an injunction
33 for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence,
34 dating violence, sexual violence, stalking, or cyberstalking
35 which that is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex
36 parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of
37 jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the
38 sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being
39 issued before July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
40 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution only upon request by an
41 individual named in the petition as a respondent. The request
42 must be in the form of a signed, legibly written request
43 specifying the case name, case number, document heading, and
44 page number. The request must be delivered by mail, facsimile,
45 or electronic transmission or in person to the clerk of the
46 court. A fee may not be charged for such request.
47 3. Any information that can be used to identify a
48 petitioner or respondent in a petition for an injunction against
49 domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual
50 violence, serious violence by a known person, stalking, or
51 cyberstalking, and any affidavits, notice of hearing, and
52 temporary injunction, is confidential and exempt from s.
53 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until
54 the respondent has been personally served with a copy of the
55 petition for injunction, affidavits, notice of hearing, and
56 temporary injunction.
57 Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public
58 necessity that a petition, and the contents thereof, for an
59 injunction for protection against serious violence by a known
60 person which is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex
61 parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of
62 jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the
63 sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being
64 issued be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and
65 s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The Legislature
66 finds that the existence of, and the unverified allegations
67 contained in, such a petition may be defamatory to an individual
68 named in it and cause unwarranted damage to the reputation of
69 such individual. The Legislature further finds that removing
70 such a record from public disclosure is the sole means of
71 protecting the reputation of such an individual.
72 (2) Additionally, the Legislature finds that it is a public
73 necessity that any information that can be used to identify a
74 petitioner or respondent in a petition for an injunction against
75 serious violence by a known person, and any affidavits, notice
76 of hearing, and temporary injunction, be made confidential and
77 exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
78 Article I of the State Constitution. The release of such
79 information before the respondent has been personally served
80 with a copy of the petition, affidavits, notice of hearing, or
81 temporary injunction could significantly threaten the physical
82 safety and security of persons seeking protection through
83 injunctive proceedings and their families, and of law
84 enforcement tasked with serving the petition for injunction,
85 affidavits, notice of hearing, or temporary injunction on the
86 respondent. The harm that may result from the release of the
87 information outweighs any public benefit that might result from
88 public disclosure of the information.
89 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
90 SB 32 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
91 is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
92 thereof and becomes a law.