Florida Senate - 2024 CS for CS for SB 26
By the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice;
the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability; and
Senators Rouson, Davis, and Pizzo
604-03507-24 202426c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public records; creating s. 16.64,
3 F.S.; providing an exemption from public records
4 requirements for the personal identifying information
5 in an application submitted to the Department of Legal
6 Affairs by, or on behalf of, a person seeking
7 compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and
8 Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program;
9 providing exceptions; providing for future legislative
10 review and repeal of the exemption; providing a
11 statement of public necessity; providing a contingent
12 effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 16.64, Florida Statutes, is created to
17 read:
18 16.64 Applications for compensation through the Dozier
19 School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation
20 Program; public records exemption.—
21 (1) Any name, date of birth, driver license number, social
22 security number, home address, mailing address, telephone
23 number, or electronic mail address in an application submitted
24 to the Department of Legal Affairs by a person seeking
25 compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee
26 School Victim Compensation Program is confidential and exempt
27 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
28 Constitution, and may not be disclosed except as provided in
29 subsection (2).
30 (2) The information made confidential and exempt under
31 subsection (1) may be released to the Department of Education
32 for the purpose of facilitating the award of standard high
33 school diplomas to persons compensated through the Dozier School
34 for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program in
35 accordance with law, or upon court order.
36 (3) This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset
37 Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
38 on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
39 through reenactment by the Legislature.
40 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
41 necessity that any name, date of birth, driver license number,
42 social security number, home address, mailing address, telephone
43 number, or electronic mail address in an application submitted
44 to the Department of Legal Affairs by a person seeking
45 compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee
46 School Victim Compensation Program be made confidential and
47 exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
48 Article I of the State Constitution, except as provided in s.
49 16.64(2), Florida Statutes, or upon court order. The Legislature
50 finds that the release of such personal identifying information,
51 except as provided in s. 16.64(2), Florida Statutes, or upon
52 court order, could subject the persons applying for compensation
53 through the Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim
54 Compensation Program to further trauma should their status as a
55 victim of the Dozier School for Boys or the Okeechobee School,
56 or the nature of the abuse each victim suffered there, be made
57 public, and to the possibility of harassment. The Legislature
58 further finds that a victim of the Dozier School for Boys or the
59 Okeechobee School may be more likely to come forward and apply
60 for compensation through the Dozier School for Boys and
61 Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program if the personal
62 identifying information in the application is protected from
63 public disclosure. The Legislature finds that the harm that may
64 result from the release of such information outweighs the public
65 benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of such
66 information.
67 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
68 SB 24 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
69 is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
70 thereof and becomes a law.