HB 1443 2025
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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; amending s. 2
119.071, F.S.; expanding a public records exemption 3
for the names of crime victims and specified documents 4
or records that could be used to locate or harass the 5
victim or the victim's family; providing that certain 6
records identifying law enfor cement officers who 7
become crime victims are confidential for a specified 8
period of time; providing an extension of time if 9
certain procedures are followed; providing for future 10
legislative review and repeal of the exemption; 11
providing a statement of publi c necessity; providing 12
an effective date. 13
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
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Section 1. Paragraph (j) of subsection (2) of section 17
119.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 18
119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of 19
public records.— 20
(2) AGENCY INVESTIGATIONS. — 21
(j)1.a. Any document that reveals the identity, including 22
the name, home or employment telephone number, home or 23
employment address, or personal assets of any individual, the 24
victim of a crime and identifies that person as the victim of a 25
HB 1443 2025
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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
crime, as defined in s. 16(e), Art. I of the State Constitution, 26
or any document or record that could be used to locate or harass 27
the victim or the victim's family, which document is received by 28
any agency that regularly receives information from or 29
concerning the victim of a victims of crime, under s. 16(b)(5), 30
Art. I of the State Constitution is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and 31
s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Any information not 32
otherwise held confiden tial or exempt from s. 119.07(1) which 33
reveals the home or employment telephone number, home or 34
employment address, or personal assets of a person who has been 35
the victim of sexual battery, aggravated child abuse, aggravated 36
stalking, harassment, aggravate d battery, or domestic violence 37
is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 38
Constitution, upon written request by the victim, which must 39
include official verification that an applicable crime has 40
occurred. Such information shall cease to be exempt 5 years 41
after the receipt of the written request. Any state or federal 42
agency that is authorized to have access to such documents by 43
any provision of law shall be granted such access in the 44
furtherance of such agency's statutory duties, notwithst anding 45
this section. 46
b.(I) The identity of any officer, as defined in s. 47
943.10(14), who uses deadly force as defined in s. 776.06, or 48
any force that results in serious bodily injury and who becomes 49
the victim of a crime in the course and scope of the of ficer's 50
HB 1443 2025
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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
employment or official duties in the same or a related incident, 51
is exempt from the public records law as set forth in sub -sub-52
subparagraphs (II) and (III). 53
(II) During the 48 hours immediately following an incident 54
in which an officer becomes th e victim of a crime, the identity 55
of the officer shall be confidential. At the expiration of the 56
48-hour period, the officer's identity shall be subject to 57
public record laws unless the elected or appointed head of the 58
officer's employing agency, as that t erm is defined in s. 59
943.10(4), provides written findings setting forth the necessity 60
for an extension of the confidentiality of the officer's 61
identity. 62
(III) The written findings by the elected or appointed 63
head of the officer's employing agency shall s tate the necessity 64
of extending the confidentiality of the officer's identity 65
beyond the 48-hour period and the written findings must be made 66
public before the 48 -hour period expires. An extension may not 67
exceed 15 days and must contain findings documentin g the 68
continued necessity for the additional extension. Subsequent 69
exemptions may not exceed 15 days for a total of 30 days. 70
(IV) The exemptions created under this sub -subparagraph 71
are subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in 72
accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 73
2030, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment 74
by the Legislature. 75
HB 1443 2025
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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
2.a. Any information in a videotaped statement of a minor 76
who is alleged to be or who is a victim of sexual battery, lewd 77
acts, or other sexual misconduct proscribed in chapter 800 or in 78
s. 794.011, s. 827.071, s. 847.012, s. 847.0125, s. 847.013, s. 79
847.0133, or s. 847.0145, which reveals that minor's identity, 80
including, but not limited to, the minor's face; the minor's 81
home, school, church, or employment telephone number; the 82
minor's home, school, church, or employment address; the name of 83
the minor's school, church, or place of employment; or the 84
personal assets of the minor; and which identifies that minor as 85
the victim of a crime described in this subparagraph, held by a 86
law enforcement agency, is confidential and exempt from s. 87
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Any 88
governmental agency that is authorized to have access to such 89
statements by any pro vision of law shall be granted such access 90
in the furtherance of the agency's statutory duties, 91
notwithstanding the provisions of this section. 92
b. A public employee or officer who has access to a 93
videotaped statement of a minor who is alleged to be or wh o is a 94
victim of sexual battery, lewd acts, or other sexual misconduct 95
proscribed in chapter 800 or in s. 794.011, s. 827.071, s. 96
847.012, s. 847.0125, s. 847.013, s. 847.0133, or s. 847.0145 97
may not willfully and knowingly disclose videotaped information 98
that reveals the minor's identity to a person who is not 99
assisting in the investigation or prosecution of the alleged 100
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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
offense or to any person other than the defendant, the 101
defendant's attorney, or a person specified in an order entered 102
by the court having jurisdiction of the alleged offense. A 103
person who violates this provision commits a misdemeanor of the 104
first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 105
775.083. 106
Section 2. The Legislature finds that s. 16(b), Article I 107
of the State Constitutio n mandates that records and documents 108
that may be used to locate and harass crime victims, including 109
records or documents that identify the crime victim, including 110
the crime victim's name, be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), 111
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), A rticle I of the State 112
Constitution. The Legislature further finds that exempting 113
records or documents that identify the crime victim, the 114
victim's family, or any information that may be used to threaten 115
or harass the victim or the victim's family from s. 1 19.07(1), 116
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State 117
Constitution is a public necessity to prevent the possibility of 118
further trauma. The Legislature also finds that the release of 119
such records or documents may deter crime victims from 120
cooperating with law enforcement and reporting criminal acts. 121
Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 122