The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General
Government
BILL: CS/SB 904
INTRODUCER: Appropriation Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and
Senator Thompson
SUBJECT: Public Records/Active Amusement Ride Investigation
DATE: April 20, 2023
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Burse Becker AG Favorable
2. Blizzard Betta AEG Fav/CS
3. FP
Please see Section IX. for Additional Information:
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE - Substantial Changes
I. Summary:
CS/SB 904 provides an exemption from public records requirements for investigatory records
made or received by the department. The bill provides a statement of public necessity.
The public records exemption would stand repealed on October 2, 2028, unless it is reenacted by
the Legislature under the Open Government Sunset Review Act.
The bill does not have a fiscal impact on state revenues or expenditures.
This act has a contingent effective date.
REVISED: BILL: CS/SB 904 Page 2
II. Present Situation:
Access to Public Records - Generally
The Florida Constitution provides that the public has the right to inspect or copy records made or
received in connection with official governmental business.
1
The right to inspect or copy applies
to the official business of any public body, officer, or employee of the state, including all three
branches of state government, local governmental entities, and any person acting on behalf of the
government.
2
Additional requirements and exemptions related to public records are found in various statutes
and rules, depending on the branch of government involved. For instance, s. 11.0431, F.S.,
provides public access requirements for legislative records. Relevant exemptions are codified in
s. 11.0431(2)-(3), F.S., and the statutory provisions are adopted in the rules of each house of the
legislature.
3
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 governs public access to judicial
branch records.
4
Lastly, ch. 119, F.S., provides requirements for public records held by executive
agencies.
Executive Agency Records – The Public Records Act
Chapter 119, F.S., known as the Public Records Act, provides that all state, county and
municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person, and that
providing access to public records is a duty of each agency.
5
A public record includes virtually any document or recording, regardless of its physical form or
how it may be transmitted.
6
The Florida Supreme Court has interpreted the statutory definition of
“public record” to include “material prepared in connection with official agency business which
is intended to perpetuate, communicate, or formalize knowledge of some type.”
7
The Florida Statutes specify conditions under which public access to public records must be
provided. The Public Records Act guarantees every person’s right to inspect and copy any public
record at any reasonable time, under reasonable conditions, and under supervision by the
1
FLA. CONST. art. I, s. 24(a).
2
Id.
3
See Rule 1.48, Rules and Manual of the Florida Senate, (2022-2024) and Rule 14.1, Rules of the Florida House of
Representatives, (2022-2024).
4
State v. Wooten, 260 So. 3d 1060 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018).
5
Section 119.01(1), F.S. Section 119.011(2), F.S., defines “agency” as “any state, county, district, authority, or municipal
officer, department, division, board, bureau, commission, or other separate unit of government created or established by law
including, for the purposes of this chapter, the Commission on Ethics, the Public Service Commission, and the Office of
Public Counsel, and any other public or private agency, person, partnership, corporation, or business entity acting on behalf
of any public agency.”
6
Section 119.011(12), F.S., defines “public record” to mean “all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs,
films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means
of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by
any agency.”
7
Shevin v. Byron, Harless, Schaffer, Reid and Assoc., Inc., 379 So. 2d 633, 640 (Fla. 1980). BILL: CS/SB 904 Page 3
custodian of the public record.
8
A violation of the Public Records Act may result in civil or
criminal liability.
9
The Legislature may exempt public records from public access requirements by passing a
general law by a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate.
10
The exemption must state
with specificity the public necessity justifying the exemption and must be no broader than
necessary to accomplish the stated purpose of the exemption.
11
General exemptions from the public records requirements are contained in the Public Records
Act.
12
Specific exemptions often are placed in the substantive statutes relating to a particular
agency or program.
13
When creating a public records exemption, the Legislature may provide that a record is “exempt”
or “confidential and exempt.” Custodians of records designated as “exempt” are not prohibited
from disclosing the record; rather, the exemption means that the custodian cannot be compelled
to disclose the record.
14
Custodians of records designated as “confidential and exempt” may not
disclose the record except under circumstances specifically defined by the Legislature.
15
Open Government Sunset Review Act
The Open Government Sunset Review Act
16
(the act) prescribes a legislative review process for
newly created or substantially amended
17
public records or open meetings exemptions, with
specified exceptions.
18
It requires the automatic repeal of such exemption on October 2nd of the
fifth year after creation or substantial amendment, unless the Legislature reenacts the
exemption.
19
The act provides that a public records or open meetings exemption may be created or maintained
only if it serves an identifiable public purpose and is no broader than is necessary.
20
8
Section 119.07(1)(a), F.S.
9
Section 119.10, F.S. Public records laws are found throughout the Florida Statutes, as are the penalties for violating those
laws.
10
FLA. CONST. art. I, s. 24(c).
11
Id. See, e.g., Halifax Hosp. Medical Center v. News-Journal Corp., 724 So. 2d 567 (Fla. 1999) (holding that a public
meetings exemption was unconstitutional because the statement of public necessity did not define important terms and did
not justify the breadth of the exemption); Baker County Press, Inc. v. Baker County Medical Services, Inc.,
870 So. 2d 189 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004) (holding that a statutory provision written to bring another party within an existing
public records exemption is unconstitutional without a public necessity statement).
12
See, e.g., s. 119.071(1)(a), F.S. (exempting from public disclosure examination questions and answer sheets of
examinations administered by a governmental agency for the purpose of licensure).
13
See, e.g., s. 213.053(2)(a), F.S. (exempting from public disclosure information contained in tax returns received by the
Department of Revenue).
14
See Williams v. City of Minneola, 575 So. 2d 683, 687 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991).
15
WFTV, Inc. v. The School Board of Seminole, 874 So. 2d 48 (Fla. 5
th
DCA 2004).
16
Section 119.15, F.S.
17
An exemption is considered to be substantially amended if it is expanded to include more records or information or to
include meetings as well as records. Section 119.15(4)(b), F.S.
18
Section 119.15(2)(a) and (b), F.S., provide that exemptions that are required by federal law or are applicable solely to the
Legislature or the State Court System are not subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act.
19
Section 119.15(3), F.S.
20
Section 119.15(6)(b), F.S. BILL: CS/SB 904 Page 4
An exemption serves an identifiable purpose if it meets one of the following purposes, and the
Legislature finds that the purpose of the exemption outweighs open government policy and
cannot be accomplished without the exemption:
It allows the state or its political subdivisions to effectively and efficiently administer a
governmental program, and administration would be significantly impaired without the
exemption;
21
It protects sensitive, personal information, the release of which would be defamatory, cause
unwarranted damage to the good name or reputation of the individual, or would jeopardize
the individual’s safety. If this public purpose is cited as the basis of an exemption, however,
only personal identifying information is exempt;
22
or
It protects information of a confidential nature concerning entities, such as trade or business
secrets.
23
In examining an exemption, the act directs the Legislature to carefully question the purpose and
necessity of reenacting the exemption. The act requires the Legislature to consider the following
specific questions in such a review:
24
What specific records or meetings are affected by the exemption?
Whom does the exemption uniquely affect, as opposed to the general public?
What is the identifiable public purpose or goal of the exemption?
Can the information contained in the records or discussed in the meeting be readily obtained
by alternative means? If so, how?
Is the record or meeting protected by another exemption?
Are there multiple exemptions for the same type of record or meeting that it would be
appropriate to merge?
If the exemption is continued and expanded, then a public necessity statement and a two-thirds
vote for passage are required.
25
If the exemption is continued without substantive changes or if
the exemption is continued and narrowed, then a public necessity statement and a two-thirds vote
for passage are not required. If the Legislature allows an exemption to sunset, the previously
exempt records will remain exempt unless provided for by law.
26
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
Section 1 creates s. 616.242(14)(b), F.S., creating a public record exemption for investigatory
records made or received by the department. The public records exemption would stand repealed
on October 2, 2028, unless it is reenacted by the Legislature under the Open Government Sunset
Review Act.
Section 2 provides a statement of public necessity which is to allow the department to effectively
and efficiently administer s. 616.242, F.S. The bill also provides that releasing such records
21
Section 119.15(6)(b)1., F.S.
22
Section 119.15(6)(b)2., F.S.
23
Section 119.15(6)(b)3., F.S.
24
Section 119.15(6)(a), F.S.
25
See generally s. 119.15, F.S.
26
Section 119.15(7), F.S. BILL: CS/SB 904 Page 5
could jeopardize ongoing investigations. The Legislature finds that the harm that may result from
the release of these records outweigh public benefit from the disclosure of the information.
Section 3 provides that this act shall take effect on the same date that SB 902 or similar
legislation takes effect, if such legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an
extension thereof and becomes a law.
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
Vote Requirement
Article I, s. 24(c) of the State Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the members
present and voting for final passage of a bill creating or expanding an exemption to the
public records requirements. This bill creates an exemption, thus, the bill requires a two-
thirds vote to be enacted.
Public Necessity Statement
Article I, s. 24(c) of the State Constitution requires a bill creating or expanding an
exemption to the public records requirements to state with specificity the public necessity
justifying the exemption. This bill creates an exemption, thus, the bill require a two-thirds
vote to be enacted.
Breadth of Exemption
Article I, s. 24(c) of the State Constitution requires an exemption to the public records
requirements to be no broader than necessary to accomplish the stated purpose of the law.
The exemption in the bill does not appear to be broader than necessary to accomplish the
purpose of the law.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None. BILL: CS/SB 904 Page 6
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
None.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill substantially amends section 616.242 of the Florida Statutes.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
CS by Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General
Government on April 18, 2023:
The committee substitute links the bill to SB 902 related to safety standards for
amusement rides, to make them both effective on the same date.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.