Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1357 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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3	3	HB 1357 2025
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7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
8	8	hb1357-00
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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to public records and public meetings; 2
16	16	amending ss. 394.464 and 397.6760, F.S.; specifying 3
17	17	that hearings relating to mental health and substance 4
18	18	abuse, respectively, are confidential and closed to 5
19	19	the public; providing exceptions; exempting certain 6
20	20	information from public records requirements; 7
21	21	expanding a public records exemption to include 8
22	22	certain petitions and applications; authorizing 9
23	23	disclosure of certain confidential and exempt 10
24	24	documents to certain service providers; authorizing 11
25	25	courts to use a respondent's name for certain 12
26	26	purposes; revising applicability; providing for future 13
27	27	legislative review and repeal of the exemption; making 14
28	28	technical changes; providing statements of public 15
29	29	necessity; providing a contingent effective date. 16
30	30	17
31	31	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
32	32	19
33	33	Section 1. Section 394.464, Florida Statutes, is amended 20
34	34	to read: 21
35	35	394.464 Court proceedings and records; confidentiality. — 22
36	36	(1) Absent the respondent's consent or a finding of good 23
37	37	cause by a judge or an administrative law judge, all hearings 24
38	38	conducted under this part are confidential and closed to the 25
39	39
40	40	HB 1357 2025
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42	42
43	43
44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
45	45	hb1357-00
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47	47	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
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49	49
50	50
51	51	public. 26
52	52	(2)(a) The respondent's name, at a hear ing or on appeal, 27
53	53	and all petitions or applications for voluntary and involuntary 28
54	54	admission for mental health examination or treatment, court 29
55	55	orders, and related records that are filed with or by a court 30
56	56	under this part are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) 31
57	57	and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Pleadings and 32
58	58	other documents made confidential and exempt by this section may 33
59	59	be disclosed by the clerk of the court, upon request, to any of 34
60	60	the following: 35
61	61	1.(a) The petitioner. 36
62	62	2.(b) The petitioner's attorney. 37
63	63	3.(c) The respondent. 38
64	64	4.(d) The respondent's attorney. 39
65	65	5.(e) The respondent's guardian or guardian advocate, if 40
66	66	applicable. 41
67	67	6.(f) In the case of a minor respondent, the respondent's 42
68	68	parent, guardian, legal custodian, or guardian advocate. 43
69	69	7.(g) The respondent's treating health care practitioner 44
70	70	and service provider . 45
71	71	8.(h) The respondent's health care surrogate or proxy. 46
72	72	9.(i) The Department of Children and Families, without 47
73	73	charge. 48
74	74	10.(j) The Department of Corrections, without charge, if 49
75	75	the respondent is committed or is to be returned to the custody 50
76	76
77	77	HB 1357 2025
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79	79
80	80
81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb1357-00
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84	84	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
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86	86
87	87
88	88	of the Department of Corrections from the Department of Children 51
89	89	and Families. 52
90	90	11.(k) A person or an entity authorized to view records 53
91	91	upon a court order for good cause. In determining whether if 54
92	92	there is good cause for the disclosure of records, the court 55
93	93	must weigh the person's person or entity's need for the 56
94	94	information against potential harm to the respondent from the 57
95	95	disclosure. 58
96	96	(b)(2) This subsection section does not preclude the clerk 59
97	97	of the court from submitting the information required by s. 60
98	98	790.065 to the Department of Law Enforcement. 61
99	99	(c)(3) The clerk of the court may not publish personal 62
100	100	identifying information on a court dock et or in a publicly 63
101	101	accessible file, but the court may use the respondent's name to 64
102	102	schedule and adjudicate cases, including the transmission of any 65
103	103	court order to the parties or the service provider . 66
104	104	(d)(4) A person or an entity receiving information 67
105	105	pursuant to this subsection section shall maintain that 68
106	106	information as confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 69
107	107	24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 70
108	108	(e)(5) The exemption under this subsection section applies 71
109	109	to all documents filed with a court before, on, or after July 1, 72
110	110	2019, and appeals pending or filed on or after July 1, 2025 . 73
111	111	(f) This subsection applies to records held by the 74
112	112	Division of Administrative Hearings to the same extent as 75
113	113
114	114	HB 1357 2025
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117	117
118	118	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
119	119	hb1357-00
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121	121	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
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123	123
124	124
125	125	records held by a court. 76
126	126	(g) This subsection is subject to the Open Government 77
127	127	Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand 78
128	128	repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from 79
129	129	repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 80
130	130	Section 2. Section 397.6760, Florida Statutes, is amended 81
131	131	to read: 82
132	132	397.6760 Court proceedings and records; confidentiality. — 83
133	133	(1) Absent a judicial finding of good cause or the 84
134	134	respondent's consent, all hearings under this part or part IV 85
135	135	are confidential and clos ed to the public. 86
136	136	(2)(a) The respondent's name, at trial and on appeal, and 87
137	137	all petitions or applications for voluntary and involuntary 88
138	138	substance abuse treatment or assessment and stabilization, court 89
139	139	orders, and related records that are filed with or by a court 90
140	140	under this part or part IV are confidential and exempt from s. 91
141	141	119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 92
142	142	Pleadings and other documents made confidential and exempt by 93
143	143	this section may be disclosed by the clerk of the court, upon 94
144	144	request, to any of the following: 95
145	145	1.(a) The petitioner. 96
146	146	2.(b) The petitioner's attorney. 97
147	147	3.(c) The respondent. 98
148	148	4.(d) The respondent's attorney. 99
149	149	5.(e) The respondent's guardian or guardian advocate, if 100
150	150
151	151	HB 1357 2025
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155	155	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
156	156	hb1357-00
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158	158	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
159	159
160	160
161	161
162	162	applicable. 101
163	163	6.(f) In the case of a minor resp ondent, the respondent's 102
164	164	parent, guardian, legal custodian, or guardian advocate. 103
165	165	7.(g) The respondent's treating health care practitioner 104
166	166	and service provider . 105
167	167	8.(h) The respondent's health care surrogate or proxy. 106
168	168	9.(i) The Department of Children a nd Families, without 107
169	169	charge. 108
170	170	10.(j) The Department of Corrections, without charge, if 109
171	171	the respondent is committed or is to be returned to the custody 110
172	172	of the Department of Corrections from the Department of Children 111
173	173	and Families. 112
174	174	11.(k) A person or an entity authorized to view records 113
175	175	upon a court order for good cause. In determining whether if 114
176	176	there is good cause for the disclosure of records, the court 115
177	177	must weigh the person's person or entity's need for the 116
178	178	information against potential harm to the res pondent from the 117
179	179	disclosure. 118
180	180	(b)(2) This subsection section does not preclude the clerk 119
181	181	of the court from submitting the information required by s. 120
182	182	790.065 to the Department of Law Enforcement. 121
183	183	(c)(3) The clerk of the court may not publish personal 122
184	184	identifying information on a court docket or in a publicly 123
185	185	accessible file, but the court may use the respondent's name to 124
186	186	schedule and adjudicate cases, including the transmission of any 125
187	187
188	188	HB 1357 2025
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190	190
191	191
192	192	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
193	193	hb1357-00
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195	195	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
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197	197
198	198
199	199	court order to the parties or the service provider . 126
200	200	(d)(4) A person or an entity receiving information 127
201	201	pursuant to this subsection section shall maintain that 128
202	202	information as confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 129
203	203	24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 130
204	204	(e)(5) The exemption under this subsection section applies 131
205	205	to all documents filed with a court before, on, or after July 1, 132
206	206	2017, and appeals pending or filed on or after July 1, 2025 . 133
207	207	(f) This subsection is subject to the Open Government 134
208	208	Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand 135
209	209	repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from 136
210	210	repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 137
211	211	Section 3. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 138
212	212	necessity that court hearings under part I of chapter 394 and 139
213	213	parts IV or V of chapter 397, Florida Statutes, be made 140
214	214	confidential and closed to the public unless the court finds 141
215	215	good cause to open a hearing to the public or the respondent 142
216	216	consents to a hearing being open to the public. The mental 143
217	217	health or substance abuse disorders of a person are medical 144
218	218	conditions that should be protected from public disclosure. A 145
219	219	person's health and sensitive personal information regarding his 146
220	220	or her mental health or substance abuse disorders are intensely 147
221	221	private matters. Making hearings confidential and closed to the 148
222	222	public when such disorders, conditions, and personal information 149
223	223	may be communicated will protect such persons from the release 150
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225	225	HB 1357 2025
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228	228
229	229	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
230	230	hb1357-00
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232	232	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
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234	234
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236	236	of sensitive personal information that could damage their and 151
237	237	their families' reputations. Allowing public hearings relating 152
238	238	to such information defeats the purpose of protections otherwise 153
239	239	provided. Further, the knowledge that such sensitive personal 154
240	240	information is subject to disclosure could have a chilling 155
241	241	effect on a person's willingness to seek out and comply with 156
242	242	mental health or substance abuse treatment services. 157
243	243	(2) The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity 158
244	244	that voluntary applications or petitions for involuntary 159
245	245	examination or treatment, court orders, and related records that 160
246	246	are filed with or by a court or relevant service provider under 161
247	247	part I of chapter 394 and parts IV or V of chapter 397, Florida 162
248	248	Statutes, and the personal identifying information of a person 163
249	249	with a potential mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder or a 164
250	250	substance abuse disorder which is published on a court docket 165
251	251	and maintained by the clerk of the court under part I of chapter 166
252	252	394 and parts IV or V of chapter 397, Florida Statutes, or with 167
253	253	the relevant service provider be made confidential and exempt 168
254	254	from disclosure under s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 169
255	255	24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The mental health or 170
256	256	substance abuse disorders of a person are medical conditions 171
257	257	that should be protected from public disclosure. A person's 172
258	258	health and sensitive personal information regarding his or her 173
259	259	mental health or substance abuse disorders are intensely private 174
260	260	matters. Making such applications, petitions, orders, records, 175
261	261
262	262	HB 1357 2025
263	263
264	264
265	265
266	266	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
267	267	hb1357-00
268	268	Page 8 of 8
269	269	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
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271	271
272	272
273	273	and personal identifying information confidential and exempt 176
274	274	from disclosure will protect such persons from the release of 177
275	275	sensitive personal information t hat could damage their and their 178
276	276	families' reputations. The publication of personal identifying 179
277	277	information on a physical or virtual docket, regardless of 180
278	278	whether any other record is published, defeats the purpose of 181
279	279	protections otherwise provided. Further , the knowledge that such 182
280	280	sensitive personal information is subject to disclosure could 183
281	281	have a chilling effect on a person's willingness to seek out and 184
282	282	comply with mental health or substance abuse treatment services. 185
283	283	Section 4. This act shall take eff ect on the same date 186
284	284	that HB 1355 or similar legislation takes effect , if such 187
285	285	legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an 188
286	286	extension thereof and becomes a law. 189