Bill Text: FL S1436 | 2014 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

Florida Senate Bill 1436 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Public Records/Location of Safe Houses

Spectrum:

Status: (Failed) 2014-05-02 - Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/HB 989 (Ch. 2014-160) [S1436 Detail]

Download: Florida-2014-S1436-Comm_Sub.html

       Florida Senate - 2014                             CS for SB 1436
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senators Flores and Bullard
       
       
       
       
       586-03530-14                                          20141436c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         409.1678, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for information about the
    5         location of safe houses and safe foster homes held by
    6         an agency; providing for future legislative review and
    7         repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of
    8         public necessity; providing a contingent effective
    9         date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 409.1678,
   14  Florida Statutes, to read:
   15         409.1678 Safe harbor for children who are victims of sexual
   16  exploitation.—
   17         (5)(a) Information held by an agency as defined in s.
   18  119.011 about the location of safe houses and safe foster homes
   19  is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art.
   20  I of the State Constitution.
   21         (b) Information about the location of safe houses and safe
   22  foster homes may be provided to an agency, as defined in s.
   23  119.011, as necessary to maintain health and safety standards
   24  and to address emergency situations in the safe house and safe
   25  foster home.
   26         (c) This subsection is subject to the Open Government
   27  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
   28  repealed on October 2, 2019, unless reviewed and saved from
   29  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   30         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   31  necessity that information about the location of safe houses and
   32  safe foster homes held by an agency, as defined in s. 119.011,
   33  Florida Statutes, be made confidential and exempt from s.
   34  119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the
   35  State Constitution. Safe houses and safe foster homes are
   36  intended as refuges for sexually exploited victims from those
   37  who exploited them. If the individuals who victimized these
   38  people were able to learn the location of such safe houses, they
   39  may attempt to contact their victims, exploit their
   40  vulnerabilities, and return them to the situations in which they
   41  were victimized. Even without the return of these victims to
   42  their former situations, additional contact with those who
   43  victimized them would have the effect of continuing their
   44  victimization and inhibiting their recoveries. Additionally,
   45  knowledge about the location of safe houses and safe foster
   46  homes could enable other individuals to locate and attempt to
   47  victimize the residents. Therefore, it is the finding of the
   48  Legislature that such information must be made confidential and
   49  exempt from public disclosure.
   50         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   51  SB 1440 or similar legislation relating to human trafficking
   52  takes effect, if such legislation is adopted in the same
   53  legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes a law.