HB 1441 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1441-00
Page 1 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public records; amending s. 2
943.0583, F.S.; providing that a petition for human 3
trafficking victim expunction and all pleadings and 4
documents related to the petition are confidential and 5
exempt from public records requirements; providing for 6
future legislative review and repeal under the Open 7
Government Sunset Review Act; providing a statement of 8
public necessity; providing a contingent effectiv e 9
date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Subsection (12) is added to section 943.0583, 14
Florida Statutes, to read: 15
943.0583 Human trafficking victim expunction. — 16
(12)(a) A petition filed under this section a nd all 17
pleadings and documents related to the petition are confidential 18
and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 19
Constitution. 20
(b) This subsection is subject to the Open Government 21
Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand 22
repealed on October 2, 2027, unless reviewed and saved from 23
repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 24
Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public 25
HB 1441 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1441-00
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
necessity that a petition filed under s. 943.0583, Florida 26
Statutes, and all ple adings and documents related to the 27
petition be made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), 28
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State 29
Constitution. Persons who are victims of human trafficking and 30
who have been arrested for offenses commit ted, or reported to 31
have been committed, as a result of being trafficked are 32
themselves victims of crimes. These victims face barriers to 33
employment and loss of other life opportunities, and the fact 34
that the victims are seeking expungement, as well as the 35
information contained in related pleadings and documents, would 36
expose these victims to possible discrimination due to details 37
of their past lives becoming public knowledge. Therefore, it is 38
necessary that these petitions, pleadings, and related documents 39
be made confidential in order for human trafficking victims to 40
have the chance to rebuild their lives and reenter society. 41
Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date 42
that HB 1439 or similar legislation takes effect , if such 43
legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an 44
extension thereof and becomes a law. 45