Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 170
       
       
        
       By Senator Polsky
       
       
       
       
       
       29-00040-22                                            2022170__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         24.1051, F.S.; creating a temporary exemption from
    4         public records for the names of lottery winners who
    5         win prizes of more than a specified value; providing
    6         for future legislative review and repeal of the
    7         exemption; providing a statement of public necessity;
    8         providing an effective date.
    9  
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Present subsections (3) and (4) of section
   13  24.1051, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4)
   14  and (5), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to that
   15  section, to read:
   16         24.1051 Exemptions from inspection or copying of public
   17  records.—
   18         (3)(a) The name of a winner of a prize valued at $250,000
   19  or more is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
   20  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution for 90 days from the
   21  date the prize is claimed, unless the winner consents to the
   22  release of his or her name or as provided for in s. 24.115(4) or
   23  s. 409.2577. After 90 days, the winner’s name is no longer
   24  confidential and exempt.
   25         (b) This subsection is subject to the Open Government
   26  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
   27  repealed on October 2, 2027, unless reviewed and saved from
   28  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   29         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   30  necessity that the name of a winner of a lottery prize valued at
   31  $250,000 or more be made confidential and exempt from s.
   32  119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the
   33  State Constitution for 90 days from the date the prize is
   34  claimed, unless such exemption is waived by the winner. Persons
   35  who win valuable lottery prizes have been the targets of violent
   36  and nonviolent criminal acts based upon publicly available
   37  identifying information. For this reason, the Legislature finds
   38  that it is a public necessity to temporarily maintain the
   39  confidential and exempt status of such information. The
   40  Legislature finds that the harm that may result from the release
   41  of the name of a winner of a lottery prize valued at $250,000 or
   42  more outweighs the public benefit that may be derived from the
   43  disclosure of the information.
   44         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.