Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 248
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       40-00248A-26                                           2026248__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public records; amending s.
    3         119.071, F.S.; providing a public records exemption
    4         for personal identifying and location information of
    5         current and former municipal clerks and their staff
    6         and the personal identifying and location information
    7         of the spouses and children of such municipal clerks
    8         and their staff; providing for future legislative
    9         review and repeal of the exemption; providing for
   10         retroactive application of the exemption; providing a
   11         statement of public necessity; providing an effective
   12         date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) 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         (4) AGENCY PERSONNEL INFORMATION.—
   21         (d)1. For purposes of this paragraph, the term:
   22         a. “Home addresses” means the dwelling location at which an
   23  individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing
   24  address, street address, parcel identification number, plot
   25  identification number, legal property description, neighborhood
   26  name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other descriptive
   27  property information that may reveal the home address.
   28         b. “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to
   29  the following class codes: 8140, 8150, 8310, and 8320.
   30         c. “Telephone numbers” includes home telephone numbers,
   31  personal cellular telephone numbers, personal pager telephone
   32  numbers, and telephone numbers associated with personal
   33  communications devices.
   34         2.a. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   35  and photographs of active or former sworn law enforcement
   36  personnel or of active or former civilian personnel employed by
   37  a law enforcement agency, including correctional and
   38  correctional probation officers, personnel of the Department of
   39  Children and Families whose duties include the investigation of
   40  abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, theft, or other criminal
   41  activities, personnel of the Department of Health whose duties
   42  are to support the investigation of child abuse or neglect, and
   43  personnel of the Department of Revenue or local governments
   44  whose responsibilities include revenue collection and
   45  enforcement or child support enforcement; the names, home
   46  addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
   47  places of employment of the spouses and children of such
   48  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
   49  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
   50  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   51  Constitution.
   52         b. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   53  and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
   54  personnel of the Department of Financial Services whose duties
   55  include the investigation of fraud, theft, workers’ compensation
   56  coverage requirements and compliance, other related criminal
   57  activities, or state regulatory requirement violations; the
   58  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
   59  places of employment of the spouses and children of such
   60  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
   61  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
   62  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
   63  Constitution.
   64         c. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   65  and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative
   66  personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of
   67  Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation
   68  of fraud, theft, other related criminal activities, or state
   69  regulatory requirement violations; the names, home addresses,
   70  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
   71  the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
   72  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
   73  children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
   74  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   75         d. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   76  and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in
   77  compliance with s. 633.408; the names, home addresses, telephone
   78  numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment
   79  of the spouses and children of such firefighters; and the names
   80  and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
   81  children of such firefighters are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
   82  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
   83         e. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
   84  numbers of current or former justices of the Supreme Court,
   85  district court of appeal judges, circuit court judges, and
   86  county court judges and current judicial assistants; the names,
   87  home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
   88  employment of the spouses and children of current or former
   89  justices and judges and current judicial assistants; and the
   90  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
   91  by the children of current or former justices and judges and of
   92  current judicial assistants are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
   93  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph
   94  is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in
   95  accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2,
   96  2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment
   97  by the Legislature.
   98         f. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
   99  and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant
  100  state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide
  101  prosecutors; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  102  photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
  103  spouses and children of current or former state attorneys,
  104  assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant
  105  statewide prosecutors; and the names and locations of schools
  106  and day care facilities attended by the children of current or
  107  former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide
  108  prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors are exempt from
  109  s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  110         g. The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone
  111  numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
  112  compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
  113  of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
  114  hearing officers; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  115  dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and
  116  children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of
  117  compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division
  118  of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement
  119  hearing officers; and the names and locations of schools and day
  120  care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates,
  121  special magistrates, judges of compensation claims,
  122  administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative
  123  Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers are
  124  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  125  Constitution.
  126         h. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  127  and photographs of current or former human resource, labor
  128  relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors,
  129  managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency
  130  or water management district whose duties include hiring and
  131  firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or
  132  other personnel-related duties; the names, home addresses,
  133  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  134  the spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
  135  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  136  children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
  137  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  138         i. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  139  and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;
  140  the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  141  and places of employment of the spouses and children of such
  142  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
  143  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
  144  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  145  Constitution.
  146         j. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
  147  employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
  148  guardians ad litem, as defined in s. 39.01; the names, home
  149  addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
  150  employment of the spouses and children of such persons; and the
  151  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
  152  by the children of such persons are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
  153  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  154         k. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  155  and photographs of current or former juvenile probation
  156  officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention
  157  superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile
  158  justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention
  159  officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers,
  160  juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II,
  161  juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor
  162  supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior
  163  human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation
  164  therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of
  165  Juvenile Justice; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  166  dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children
  167  of such personnel; and the names and locations of schools and
  168  day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel
  169  are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  170  Constitution.
  171         l. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  172  and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant
  173  public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel,
  174  and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel; the
  175  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  176  places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
  177  former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal
  178  conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal
  179  conflict and civil regional counsel; and the names and locations
  180  of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
  181  current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders,
  182  criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant
  183  criminal conflict and civil regional counsel are exempt from s.
  184  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  185         m. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  186  and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors
  187  of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the
  188  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  189  places of employment of the spouses and children of such current
  190  or former investigators and inspectors; and the names and
  191  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  192  children of such current or former investigators and inspectors
  193  are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  194  Constitution.
  195         n. The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of
  196  birth of county tax collectors; the names, home addresses,
  197  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  198  the spouses and children of such tax collectors; and the names
  199  and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  200  children of such tax collectors are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
  201  s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  202         o. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  203  and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department
  204  of Health whose duties include, or result in, the determination
  205  or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability
  206  benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed
  207  against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health
  208  care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the
  209  Department of Health; the names, home addresses, telephone
  210  numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses
  211  and children of such personnel; and the names and locations of
  212  schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such
  213  personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
  214  the State Constitution.
  215         p. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  216  and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner
  217  consultants who are retained by an agency or current or former
  218  employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties
  219  result in a determination of a person’s skill and safety to
  220  practice a licensed profession; the names, home addresses,
  221  telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of
  222  the spouses and children of such consultants or their employees;
  223  and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities
  224  attended by the children of such consultants or employees are
  225  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  226  Constitution.
  227         q. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  228  and photographs of current or former emergency medical
  229  technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401; the
  230  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  231  places of employment of the spouses and children of such
  232  emergency medical technicians or paramedics; and the names and
  233  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  234  children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are
  235  exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  236  Constitution.
  237         r. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  238  and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an
  239  agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit
  240  department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste,
  241  fraud, abuse, theft, exploitation, or other activities that
  242  could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;
  243  the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  244  and places of employment of spouses and children of such
  245  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
  246  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
  247  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  248  Constitution.
  249         s. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  250  and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
  251  supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction
  252  treatment facility; the home addresses, telephone numbers,
  253  photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
  254  spouses and children of such personnel; and the names and
  255  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  256  children of such personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
  257  24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this
  258  sub-subparagraph, the term “addiction treatment facility” means
  259  a county government, or agency thereof, that is licensed
  260  pursuant to s. 397.401 and provides substance abuse prevention,
  261  intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed
  262  service component described in s. 397.311(27).
  263         t. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  264  and photographs of current or former directors, managers,
  265  supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center
  266  that meets the standards of s. 39.3035(2) and fulfills the
  267  screening requirement of s. 39.3035(3), and the members of a
  268  Child Protection Team as described in s. 39.303 whose duties
  269  include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual
  270  abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation
  271  or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case
  272  review team; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,
  273  photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the
  274  spouses and children of such personnel and members; and the
  275  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
  276  by the children of such personnel and members are exempt from s.
  277  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
  278         u. The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
  279  employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
  280  staff and domestic violence advocates, as defined in s.
  281  90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the
  282  Department of Children and Families under chapter 39; the names,
  283  home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates
  284  of birth, and photographs of the spouses and children of such
  285  personnel; and the names and locations of schools and day care
  286  facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt
  287  from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
  288  Constitution.
  289         v. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  290  and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators
  291  of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the
  292  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  293  places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
  294  former inspectors or investigators; and the names and locations
  295  of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
  296  current or former inspectors or investigators are exempt from s.
  297  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This
  298  sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review
  299  Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on
  300  October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
  301  reenactment by the Legislature.
  302         w. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  303  and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county
  304  attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant
  305  city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys; the names, home
  306  addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and
  307  places of employment of the spouses and children of current
  308  county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county
  309  attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy
  310  city attorneys; and the names and locations of schools and day
  311  care facilities attended by the children of current county
  312  attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys,
  313  city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city
  314  attorneys are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
  315  the State Constitution. This exemption does not apply to a
  316  county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county
  317  attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city
  318  attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public
  319  office. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government
  320  Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
  321  repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from
  322  repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
  323         x. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  324  and photographs of current or former commissioners of the
  325  Florida Gaming Control Commission; the names, home addresses,
  326  telephone numbers, dates of birth, photographs, and places of
  327  employment of the spouses and children of such current or former
  328  commissioners; and the names and locations of schools and day
  329  care facilities attended by the children of such current or
  330  former commissioners are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),
  331  Art. I of the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is
  332  subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance
  333  with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029,
  334  unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
  335  Legislature.
  336         y. The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  337  and photographs of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy
  338  clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court
  339  personnel; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates
  340  of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children
  341  of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the
  342  circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel; and the
  343  names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
  344  by the children of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy
  345  clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court
  346  personnel are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of
  347  the State Constitution. This sub-subparagraph is subject to the
  348  Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15
  349  and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and
  350  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
  351         z.(I) As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term:
  352         (A) “Congressional member” means a person who is elected to
  353  serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives
  354  or is elected or appointed to serve as a member of the United
  355  States Senate.
  356         (B) “Partial home address” means the dwelling location at
  357  which an individual resides and includes the physical address,
  358  mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,
  359  plot identification number, legal property description,
  360  neighborhood name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other
  361  descriptive property information that may reveal the partial
  362  home address, except for the city and zip code.
  363         (C) “Public officer” means a person who holds one of the
  364  following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief
  365  Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,
  366  state representative, state senator, property appraiser,
  367  supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board
  368  member, mayor, city commissioner, or county commissioner.
  369         (II) The following information is exempt from s. 119.07(1)
  370  and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
  371         (A) The partial home addresses of a current congressional
  372  member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
  373         (B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional member
  374  or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
  375         (C) The name, home addresses, telephone numbers, and date
  376  of birth of a minor child of a current congressional member or
  377  public officer and the name and location of the school or day
  378  care facility attended by the minor child.
  379         (III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open
  380  Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and
  381  shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and
  382  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
  383         aa.The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth,
  384  and photographs of current or former municipal clerks and their
  385  staff, including elections filing officers, records management
  386  liaison officers, and deputy or assistant municipal clerks; the
  387  names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and
  388  places of employment of the spouses and children of current or
  389  former municipal clerks and their staff, including elections
  390  filing officers, records management liaison officers, and deputy
  391  or assistant municipal clerks; and the names and locations of
  392  schools and day care facilities attended by the children of
  393  current or former municipal clerks and their staff, including
  394  elections filing officers, records management liaison officers,
  395  and deputy or assistant municipal clerks, are exempt from s.
  396  119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This
  397  sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review
  398  Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on
  399  October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through
  400  reenactment by the Legislature.
  401         3.a. An agency that is the custodian of the information
  402  specified in subparagraph 2. and that is not the employer of the
  403  officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in
  404  subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that
  405  information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other
  406  person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a
  407  written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption
  408  to the custodial agency. The request must state under oath the
  409  statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and
  410  confirm the individual’s status as a party eligible for exempt
  411  status.
  412         b. An agency that is the custodian of information specified
  413  in sub-subparagraph 2.z. and that is not the employer of the
  414  congressional member, public officer, or other person specified
  415  in sub-subparagraph 2.z. must maintain the exempt status of that
  416  information only if an individual requests the maintenance of an
  417  exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. on the basis of
  418  eligibility as a current congressional member or public officer
  419  and his or her spouse or child submits, as part of the written
  420  and notarized request required by sub-subparagraph a., the date
  421  of the congressional member’s or public officer’s election or
  422  appointment to public office, the date on which that office is
  423  next subject to election, and, if applicable, the date on which
  424  the current congressional member’s or public officer’s minor
  425  child reaches the age of majority. The custodian must maintain
  426  an exemption granted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z. until the
  427  qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the
  428  person subject to the exemption.
  429         4.a. A county property appraiser, as defined in s.
  430  192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.
  431  192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for
  432  maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must
  433  comply by removing the name of the individual with exempt status
  434  and the instrument number or Official Records book and page
  435  number identifying the property with the exempt status from all
  436  publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser
  437  or tax collector. For written requests received on or before
  438  July 1, 2021, a county property appraiser or county tax
  439  collector must comply with this sub-subparagraph by October 1,
  440  2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may
  441  not remove the street address, legal description, or other
  442  information identifying real property within the agency’s
  443  records so long as a name or personal information otherwise
  444  exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is
  445  not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the
  446  public records of the agency.
  447         b. Any information restricted from public display,
  448  inspection, or copying under sub-subparagraph a. must be
  449  provided to the individual whose information was removed.
  450         5. An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other
  451  person specified in subparagraph 2. may submit a written request
  452  for the release of his or her exempt information to the
  453  custodial agency. The written request must be notarized and must
  454  specify the information to be released and the party authorized
  455  to receive the information. Upon receipt of the written request,
  456  the custodial agency must release the specified information to
  457  the party authorized to receive such information.
  458         6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information
  459  held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the
  460  exemption.
  461         7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be
  462  disclosed pursuant to s. 28.2221 to a title insurer authorized
  463  pursuant to s. 624.401 and its affiliates as defined in s.
  464  624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as
  465  defined in s. 626.841(1) or (2), respectively; or an attorney
  466  duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing
  467  with The Florida Bar.
  468         8. The exempt status of a home address contained in the
  469  Official Records is maintained only during the period when a
  470  protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon
  471  conveyance of real property after October 1, 2021, and when such
  472  real property no longer constitutes a protected party’s home
  473  address as defined in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the protected party
  474  must submit a written request to release the removed information
  475  to the county recorder. The written request to release the
  476  removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a
  477  protected party’s request for release is pursuant to a
  478  conveyance of his or her dwelling location, and must specify the
  479  Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk’s
  480  file number for each document containing the information to be
  481  released.
  482         9. Upon the death of a protected party as verified by a
  483  certified copy of a death certificate or court order, any party
  484  can request the county recorder to release a protected
  485  decedent’s removed information unless there is a related request
  486  on file with the county recorder for continued removal of the
  487  decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise
  488  prohibited by statute or by court order. The written request to
  489  release the removed information upon the death of a protected
  490  party must attach the certified copy of a death certificate or
  491  court order and must be notarized, must confirm the request for
  492  release is due to the death of a protected party, and must
  493  specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument
  494  number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the
  495  information to be released. A fee may not be charged for the
  496  release of any document pursuant to such request.
  497         Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
  498  necessity that the home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of
  499  birth, and photographs of current and former municipal clerks
  500  and their staff, including elections filing officers, records
  501  management liaison officers, and deputy or assistant municipal
  502  clerks; the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of
  503  birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of
  504  current and former municipal clerks and their staff, including
  505  elections filing officers, records management liaison officers,
  506  and deputy or assistant municipal clerks; and the names and
  507  locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the
  508  children of current and former municipal clerks and their staff,
  509  including elections filing officers, records management liaison
  510  officers, and deputy or assistant municipal clerks, be made
  511  exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
  512  Article I of the State Constitution. Municipal clerks and their
  513  staff often handle sensitive information and perform critical
  514  administrative functions. Many municipal staff members who
  515  perform duties that include, or result in, investigations into
  516  complaints regarding election fraud, legal enforcement of
  517  special magistrate hearings related to neglect or abuse, or
  518  other activities that could lead to a criminal prosecution are
  519  exposed to threats and other acts of violence. Protecting their
  520  personal information is essential to ensure their safety. The
  521  Legislature further finds that the harm that may result from the
  522  release of such personal identifying and location information
  523  outweighs any public benefit that may be derived from the
  524  disclosure of the information.
  525         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.