Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 182
       
       
        
       By Senator Hays
       
       
       
       
       
       11-00115A-15                                           2015182__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records and meetings;
    3         creating s. 1004.097, F.S.; providing an exemption
    4         from public records requirements for any personal
    5         identifying information of an applicant for president,
    6         provost, or dean of a state university or Florida
    7         College System institution; providing an exemption
    8         from public meeting requirements for any meeting held
    9         for the purpose of identifying or vetting applicants
   10         for president, provost, or dean of a state university
   11         or Florida College System institution and for any
   12         portion of a meeting held for the purpose of
   13         establishing the qualifications of, or any
   14         compensation framework to be offered to, such
   15         potential applicants which would disclose personal
   16         identifying information of an applicant or potential
   17         applicant; providing applicability; requiring release
   18         of the names of specified applicants within a certain
   19         timeframe; providing for future legislative review and
   20         repeal of the exemptions; providing a statement of
   21         public necessity; providing an effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Section 1004.097, Florida Statutes, is created
   26  to read:
   27         1004.097 Information identifying applicants for president,
   28  provost, or dean at state universities or Florida College System
   29  institutions; public records exemption; public meeting
   30  exemption.—
   31         (1) Any personal identifying information of an applicant
   32  for president, provost, or dean of a state university or Florida
   33  College System institution is confidential and exempt from s.
   34  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   35         (2) Any meeting held for the purpose of identifying or
   36  vetting applicants for president, provost, or dean of a state
   37  university or Florida College System institution is exempt from
   38  s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution. This
   39  exemption does not apply to a meeting held for the purpose of
   40  establishing the qualifications of potential applicants or any
   41  compensation framework to be offered to potential applicants.
   42  However, any portion of such a meeting that would disclose
   43  personal identifying information of an applicant or potential
   44  applicant is exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the
   45  State Constitution.
   46         (3) Any meeting or interview held after a final group of
   47  applicants has been established for the purpose of making a
   48  final selection to fill the position of president, provost, or
   49  dean of a state university or Florida College System institution
   50  is subject to s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State
   51  Constitution.
   52         (4) The names of those included in the final group of
   53  applicants pursuant to subsection (3) must be released by the
   54  state university or Florida College System institution no later
   55  than 10 days before the date of the meeting at which a final
   56  action or vote is to be taken on the employment of the
   57  applicants.
   58         (5) Any personal identifying information of those included
   59  in the final group of applicants pursuant to subsection (3)
   60  becomes subject to s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the
   61  State Constitution when the names of such applicants are
   62  released pursuant to subsection (4).
   63         (6) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset
   64  Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
   65  on October 2, 2020, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
   66  through reenactment by the Legislature.
   67         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   68  necessity that any personal identifying information of an
   69  applicant for president, provost, or dean of a state university
   70  or Florida College System institution be made confidential and
   71  exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
   72  Article I of the State Constitution. The Legislature also finds
   73  that any meeting held for the purpose of identifying or vetting
   74  applicants for president, provost, or dean of a state university
   75  or Florida College System institution and any portion of a
   76  meeting held for the purpose of establishing qualifications of,
   77  or any compensation framework to be offered to, such potential
   78  applicants which would disclose personal identifying information
   79  of an applicant or potential applicant be made exempt from s.
   80  286.011, Florida Statutes, and s. 24(b), Article I of the State
   81  Constitution. The task of filling the position of president,
   82  provost, or dean of a state university or Florida College System
   83  institution is often conducted by an executive search committee.
   84  Many, if not most, applicants for such a position are currently
   85  employed at another job at the time they apply and disclosure of
   86  their applications could jeopardize their current positions.
   87  These exemptions from public records and public meeting
   88  requirements are needed to ensure that the executive search
   89  committee can avail itself of the most experienced and desirable
   90  pool of qualified applicants from which to fill the position of
   91  president, provost, or dean of a state university or Florida
   92  College System institution. If potential applicants fear the
   93  possibility of losing their current employment as a consequence
   94  of attempting to progress along their chosen career path or
   95  seeking different and more rewarding employment, failure to have
   96  these exemptions in place could have a chilling effect on the
   97  number and quality of applicants available to fill the position
   98  of president, provost, or dean of a state university or Florida
   99  College System institution.
  100         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2015.