CS/HB 943 2024
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hb0943-01-c1
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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; creating s. 2
215.5587, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 3
records requirements for applications and home 4
inspection reports submitted by applicants to the 5
Department of Financial Services as a part of the My 6
Safe Florida Home Program; providing retroactive 7
applicability; providing for future legislative review 8
and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of 9
public necessity; providing 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. Section 215.5587, Florida Statutes, is created 14
to read: 15
215.5587 My Safe Florida Home Program; public records 16
exemption.— 17
(1) Applications and home inspection reports submitted by 18
applicants as part of the My Safe Florida Home Program under s. 19
215.5586 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of 20
the State Constitution. 21
(2) This exemption applies retroactively to applicat ions 22
and home inspection reports submitted before, on, or after the 23
effective date of this exemption. 24
(3) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset 25
CS/HB 943 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 26
on October 2, 2029, unless re viewed and saved from repeal 27
through reenactment by the Legislature. 28
Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public 29
necessity that My Safe Florida Home Program applications and 30
home inspection reports be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), 31
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State 32
Constitution. More than 99 percent of all home inspections and 33
grant applications are completed electronically or by phone. 34
Under current law, My Safe Florida Home Program applications and 35
home inspection reports are public records and can be obtained 36
by anyone for any purpose. These documents contain personal 37
information, including, but not limited to, names, e -mail 38
addresses, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers. This 39
information is unique to each individual and, when combined with 40
other personal identifying information, can be used for identity 41
theft, consumer scams, unwanted solicitations, or other invasive 42
contact. Additionally, the My Safe Florida Home Program 43
applications and home inspection reports cont ain detailed 44
descriptions and pictures of the inside and outside of 45
applicants' homes, including private areas, points of entry, and 46
other vulnerabilities. The public availability of these records 47
puts participants in the My Safe Florida Home Program at 48
increased risk of home invasions and reduces privacy in their 49
homes. Such risk may be significantly limited by making My Safe 50
CS/HB 943 2024
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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
Florida Home Program applications and home inspection reports 51
exempt from public record requirements. 52
Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 53