Skip to Navigation | Skip to Main Content | Skip to Site Map

MyFloridaHouse.gov | Mobile Site

Senate Tracker: Sign Up | Login

The Florida Senate

2021 Florida Statutes (Including 2021B Session)

Title X PUBLIC OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND RECORDS
Chapter 119 PUBLIC RECORDS Entire Chapter
SECTION 0713
Local government agency exemptions from inspection or copying of public records.
F.S. 119.0713
119.0713 Local government agency exemptions from inspection or copying of public records.—
(1) All complaints and other records in the custody of any unit of local government which relate to a complaint of discrimination relating to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, marital status, sale or rental of housing, the provision of brokerage services, or the financing of housing are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until a finding is made relating to probable cause, the investigation of the complaint becomes inactive, or the complaint or other record is made part of the official record of any hearing or court proceeding. This provision does not affect any function or activity of the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Any state or federal agency that is authorized to access such complaints or records by any provision of law shall be granted such access in the furtherance of such agency’s statutory duties. This subsection does not modify or repeal any special or local act.
(2)(a) As used in this subsection, the term “unit of local government” means a county, municipality, special district, local agency, authority, consolidated city-county government, or any other local governmental body or public body corporate or politic authorized or created by general or special law.
(b) The audit report of an internal auditor and the investigative report of the inspector general prepared for or on behalf of a unit of local government becomes a public record when the audit or investigation becomes final. An audit or investigation becomes final when the audit report or investigative report is presented to the unit of local government. Audit workpapers and notes related to such audit and information received, produced, or derived from an investigation are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until the audit or investigation is complete and the audit report becomes final or when the investigation is no longer active. An investigation is active if it is continuing with a reasonable, good faith anticipation of resolution and with reasonable dispatch.
(3) Any data, record, or document used directly or solely by a municipally owned utility to prepare and submit a bid relative to the sale, distribution, or use of any service, commodity, or tangible personal property to any customer or prospective customer is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This exemption commences when a municipal utility identifies in writing a specific bid to which it intends to respond. This exemption no longer applies after the contract for sale, distribution, or use of the service, commodity, or tangible personal property is executed, a decision is made not to execute such contract, or the project is no longer under active consideration. The exemption in this subsection includes the bid documents actually furnished in response to the request for bids. However, the exemption for the bid documents submitted no longer applies after the bids are opened by the customer or prospective customer.
(4)(a) Proprietary confidential business information means information, regardless of form or characteristics, which is held by an electric utility that is subject to this chapter, is intended to be and is treated by the entity that provided the information to the electric utility as private in that the disclosure of the information would cause harm to the entity providing the information or its business operations, and has not been disclosed unless disclosed pursuant to a statutory provision, an order of a court or administrative body, or a private agreement that provides that the information will not be released to the public. Proprietary confidential business information includes:
1. Trade secrets, as defined in s. 688.002.
2. Internal auditing controls and reports of internal auditors.
3. Security measures, systems, or procedures.
4. Information concerning bids or other contractual data, the disclosure of which would impair the efforts of the electric utility to contract for goods or services on favorable terms.
5. Information relating to competitive interests, the disclosure of which would impair the competitive business of the provider of the information.
(b) Proprietary confidential business information held by an electric utility that is subject to this chapter in conjunction with a due diligence review of an electric project as defined in s. 163.01(3)(d) or a project to improve the delivery, cost, or diversification of fuel or renewable energy resources is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
(c) All proprietary confidential business information described in paragraph (b) shall be retained for 1 year after the due diligence review has been completed and the electric utility has decided whether or not to participate in the project.
(5)(a) The following information held by a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
1. Information related to the security of the technology, processes, or practices of a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government that are designed to protect the utility’s networks, computers, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access, which information, if disclosed, would facilitate the alteration, disclosure, or destruction of such data or information technology resources.
2. Information related to the security of existing or proposed information technology systems or industrial control technology systems of a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government, which, if disclosed, would facilitate unauthorized access to, and alteration or destruction of, such systems in a manner that would adversely impact the safe and reliable operation of the systems and the utility.
3. Customer meter-derived data and billing information in increments less than one billing cycle.
(b) This exemption applies to such information held by a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption.
(c) This subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2024, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
History.—s. 1, ch. 86-21; s. 24, ch. 95-398; s. 1, ch. 95-399; s. 1, ch. 96-230; s. 1, ch. 2001-87; ss. 1, 2, ch. 2003-110; s. 7, ch. 2004-335; ss. 34, 35, 36, ch. 2005-251; ss. 3, 5, ch. 2008-57; s. 1, ch. 2011-87; s. 1, ch. 2013-143; s. 1, ch. 2016-47; s. 2, ch. 2016-95; s. 1, ch. 2018-120; s. 1, ch. 2019-38.
Note.—

A. Additional exemptions from the application of this section appear in the General Index to the Florida Statutes under the heading “Public Records.”

B. Former s. 119.07(6)(p), (y), (z), (hh).