Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1658
       
       
        
       By Senator Collins
       
       
       
       
       
       14-01573A-25                                          20251658__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         627.711, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
    4         records requirements for certain data entered into the
    5         uniform mitigation verification inspection form
    6         database; providing for future legislative review and
    7         repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of
    8         public necessity; providing a contingent effective
    9         date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
   14  section 627.711, Florida Statutes, as amended by SB 1656 or
   15  similar legislation, 2025 Regular Session, to read:
   16         627.711 Notice of premium discounts for hurricane loss
   17  mitigation; uniform mitigation verification inspection form.—
   18         (e)1. Electronic submissions provided pursuant to paragraph
   19  (d) and the associated data entered into the database, including
   20  the identity, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, insurance
   21  company, and insurance policy numbers, are confidential and
   22  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   23  Constitution.
   24         2. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset
   25  Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
   26  on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
   27  through reenactment by the Legislature.
   28         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
   29  necessity that statewide uniform mitigation verification
   30  inspection forms submitted electronically by insurers which
   31  reveal the policyholder’s name, identity, phone numbers, e-mail
   32  addresses, insurance company, and insurance policy number be
   33  made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida
   34  Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution.
   35  Uniform mitigation verification inspection forms reveal critical
   36  personal identifying information regarding policyholders and, in
   37  aggregate, can be used to identify information claimed as a
   38  trade secret pursuant to s. 624.4213, Florida Statutes.
   39  Disclosing personal identifying information contained in the
   40  uniform mitigation verification inspection form significantly
   41  undermines the privacy of policyholders and can result in the
   42  release of otherwise exempt trade secret information protections
   43  claimed by insurers. Pervasive use of the Internet and related
   44  technologies abet those with malicious purposes in exploiting
   45  the use of personal identifying information within such forms,
   46  creating ever-expanding threats to privacy and security never
   47  envisioned in generations past. The establishment of a statewide
   48  database to be operated by the Office of Insurance Regulation
   49  will lead to a single repository with a vast amount of personal
   50  identifying information. Furthermore, the public disclosure of
   51  such information could hinder the effective and efficient
   52  administration of the database. Therefore, the Legislature finds
   53  that it is a public necessity to make exempt from public records
   54  requirements the personal identifying information contained in
   55  uniform mitigation verification inspection form electronic
   56  submissions.
   57         Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
   58  SB 1656 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
   59  is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
   60  thereof and becomes a law.