HB 307 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0307-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P RE S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public records; amending s. 823.15, 2
F.S.; providing an exemption from public records 3
requirements for records containing certain 4
information pertaining to persons who have adopted an 5
animal from an animal shelter or animal control agency 6
operated by a local government; providing for future 7
legislative review and repeal of the exemption; 8
providing a statement of public necessity; providing 9
an effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. Subsection (7) is added to section 823.15, 14
Florida Statutes, to read: 15
823.15 Public or private animal agencies; sterilization 16
required for dogs and cats released ; recordkeeping requirements; 17
microchipping.— 18
(7) The name and e-mail addresses, as well as the home 19
addresses and telephone numbers, as those terms are defined in 20
s. 119.071(4)(d), of a person who has adopted an animal from an 21
animal shelter or animal c ontrol agency operated by a county, 22
municipality, or other incorporated political subdivision on any 23
record relating to the animal and held by the shelter or agency 24
are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 25
HB 307 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0307-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P RE S E N T A T I V E S
Constitution. This subsectio n is subject to the Open Government 26
Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand 27
repealed on October 2, 2027, unless reviewed and saved from 28
repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 29
Section 2. The Legislature finds that, as refl ected in s. 30
823.15(1), Florida Statutes, it is an important public policy of 31
the state to encourage the adoption of animals and to reduce 32
euthanasia rates for animals in animal shelters and animal 33
control agencies. Although shelters and agencies are motiva ted 34
to find new homes for animals in their custody, adopters of 35
these animals may become discouraged from adopting if the prior 36
owners who lost or surrendered custody of those animals, or who 37
did not reclaim the animals within the applicable time periods, 38
obtain the identifying information of the adopters and attempt 39
to regain custody of the animal from the adopter. The 40
Legislature finds that the stalking, harassment, and 41
intimidation of animal adopters by prior animal owners, as well 42
as prior animal owners ' theft of animals from animal adopters, 43
are threats to public safety and welfare and to the sanctity of 44
private property, the family, and the home. The Legislature 45
therefore finds that it is a public necessity that the name, 46
home addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of 47
persons who have adopted an animal from an animal shelter or 48
animal control agency operated by a county, municipality, or 49
incorporated political subdivision on any record relating to 50
HB 307 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0307-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P RE S E N T A T I V E S
such animal and held by such shelter or agen cy be made exempt 51
from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Art. I of the 52
State Constitution. The Legislature further finds that the need 53
to protect the names, home addresses, e-mail addresses, and 54
telephone numbers of animal adopters is sufficien tly compelling 55
to override the state's public policy of open government and 56
that the protection of such information cannot be accomplished 57
without this exemption. 58
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 59