Florida Senate - 2026 SB 884
By Senator Rodriguez
40-00708-26 2026884__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public records; amending s.
3 119.071, F.S.; defining terms; providing an exemption
4 from public records requirements for the personal
5 identifying and location information of current and
6 former owners and operators of family foster homes and
7 the names and personal identifying and location
8 information of the spouses and children of such owners
9 and operators; providing for future legislative review
10 and repeal of the exemption; providing for retroactive
11 application of the exemption; providing a statement of
12 public necessity; providing an effective 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) “Child” or “children” means an unmarried person under
353 the age of 18 who has not been emancipated by order of the court
354 and who is related to an owner or operator either by blood,
355 marriage, or adoption or who has been placed in a family foster
356 home by the Department of Children and Families.
357 (B) “Family foster home” has the same meaning as in s.
358 409.175(2).
359 (C) “Operator” has the same meaning as in s. 409.175(2).
360 (D) “Owner” has the same meaning as in s. 409.175(2).
361 (II) The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
362 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former
363 owners and operators of family foster homes; the names, home
364 addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of
365 employment of the spouses and children of such persons; and the
366 names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended
367 by the children of such persons are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and
368 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
369 (III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open
370 Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and
371 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and
372 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
373 aa.(I) As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term:
374 (A) “Congressional member” means a person who is elected to
375 serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives
376 or is elected or appointed to serve as a member of the United
377 States Senate.
378 (B) “Partial home address” means the dwelling location at
379 which an individual resides and includes the physical address,
380 mailing address, street address, parcel identification number,
381 plot identification number, legal property description,
382 neighborhood name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other
383 descriptive property information that may reveal the partial
384 home address, except for the city and zip code.
385 (C) “Public officer” means a person who holds one of the
386 following offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief
387 Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner,
388 state representative, state senator, property appraiser,
389 supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board
390 member, mayor, city commissioner, or county commissioner.
391 (II) The following information is exempt from s. 119.07(1)
392 and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution:
393 (A) The partial home addresses of a current congressional
394 member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
395 (B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional member
396 or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.
397 (C) The name, home addresses, telephone numbers, and date
398 of birth of a minor child of a current congressional member or
399 public officer and the name and location of the school or day
400 care facility attended by the minor child.
401 (III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open
402 Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and
403 shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and
404 saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
405 3.a. An agency that is the custodian of the information
406 specified in subparagraph 2. and that is not the employer of the
407 officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in
408 subparagraph 2. must maintain the exempt status of that
409 information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other
410 person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a
411 written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption
412 to the custodial agency. The request must state under oath the
413 statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and
414 confirm the individual’s status as a party eligible for exempt
415 status.
416 b. An agency that is the custodian of information specified
417 in sub-subparagraph 2.aa. 2.z. and that is not the employer of
418 the congressional member, public officer, or other person
419 specified in sub-subparagraph 2.aa. 2.z. must maintain the
420 exempt status of that information only if an individual requests
421 the maintenance of an exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph
422 2.aa. 2.z. on the basis of eligibility as a current
423 congressional member or public officer and his or her spouse or
424 child submits, as part of the written and notarized request
425 required by sub-subparagraph a., the date of the congressional
426 member’s or public officer’s election or appointment to public
427 office, the date on which that office is next subject to
428 election, and, if applicable, the date on which the current
429 congressional member’s or public officer’s minor child reaches
430 the age of majority. The custodian must maintain an exemption
431 granted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.aa. 2.z. until the
432 qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the
433 person subject to the exemption.
434 4.a. A county property appraiser, as defined in s.
435 192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.
436 192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for
437 maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3. must
438 comply by removing the name of the individual with exempt status
439 and the instrument number or Official Records book and page
440 number identifying the property with the exempt status from all
441 publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser
442 or tax collector. For written requests received on or before
443 July 1, 2021, a county property appraiser or county tax
444 collector must comply with this sub-subparagraph by October 1,
445 2021. A county property appraiser or county tax collector may
446 not remove the street address, legal description, or other
447 information identifying real property within the agency’s
448 records so long as a name or personal information otherwise
449 exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is
450 not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the
451 public records of the agency.
452 b. Any information restricted from public display,
453 inspection, or copying under sub-subparagraph a. must be
454 provided to the individual whose information was removed.
455 5. An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other
456 person specified in subparagraph 2. may submit a written request
457 for the release of his or her exempt information to the
458 custodial agency. The written request must be notarized and must
459 specify the information to be released and the party authorized
460 to receive the information. Upon receipt of the written request,
461 the custodial agency must release the specified information to
462 the party authorized to receive such information.
463 6. The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information
464 held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the
465 exemption.
466 7. Information made exempt under this paragraph may be
467 disclosed pursuant to s. 28.2221 to a title insurer authorized
468 pursuant to s. 624.401 and its affiliates as defined in s.
469 624.10; a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as
470 defined in s. 626.841(1) or (2), respectively; or an attorney
471 duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing
472 with The Florida Bar.
473 8. The exempt status of a home address contained in the
474 Official Records is maintained only during the period when a
475 protected party resides at the dwelling location. Upon
476 conveyance of real property after October 1, 2021, and when such
477 real property no longer constitutes a protected party’s home
478 address as defined in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the protected party
479 must submit a written request to release the removed information
480 to the county recorder. The written request to release the
481 removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a
482 protected party’s request for release is pursuant to a
483 conveyance of his or her dwelling location, and must specify the
484 Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk’s
485 file number for each document containing the information to be
486 released.
487 9. Upon the death of a protected party as verified by a
488 certified copy of a death certificate or court order, any party
489 can request the county recorder to release a protected
490 decedent’s removed information unless there is a related request
491 on file with the county recorder for continued removal of the
492 decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise
493 prohibited by statute or by court order. The written request to
494 release the removed information upon the death of a protected
495 party must attach the certified copy of a death certificate or
496 court order and must be notarized, must confirm the request for
497 release is due to the death of a protected party, and must
498 specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument
499 number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the
500 information to be released. A fee may not be charged for the
501 release of any document pursuant to such request.
502 Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public
503 necessity that the home addresses, telephone numbers, places of
504 employment, dates of birth, and photographs of former and
505 current owners and operators, and their spouses and children, of
506 family foster homes licensed by the Department of Children and
507 Families, and the names and locations of schools and day care
508 facilities attended by the children of such persons be made
509 exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
510 Article I of the State Constitution. Such identifying and
511 location information can be used to locate children placed in a
512 family foster home by the Department of Children and Families,
513 the owner or operator of such home, and the other children
514 living at the home to threaten or harm the children, owner, or
515 operator; to perpetuate fraud against any of these individuals;
516 or to acquire sensitive personal, financial, medical, and
517 familial information, the release of which could cause great
518 financial harm to the individual.
519 (2) Children placed in a family foster home are often
520 removed from the care of their biological parents due to
521 physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; domestic violence; drug
522 use; neglect; and many other reasons for which the state has
523 identified the children are in danger. As such, it is necessary
524 to protect the location of such children from being known by
525 their biological parents until the case has been litigated and
526 the children have been returned to their biological parents upon
527 satisfactory completion of their case plan and having their
528 parenting rights restored. As a result of being the person
529 ultimately responsible for the care of a child who is removed
530 from the home of his or her biological parents, owners and
531 operators of family foster homes may incur the ill will of the
532 biological parents, thus making such owners and operators and
533 their other children targets for acts of revenge. If such
534 identifying and location information is released, the safety of
535 the owners and operators of family foster homes and all children
536 living with them could be seriously jeopardized. The Legislature
537 further finds that the harm that may result from the release of
538 such personal identifying and location information outweighs any
539 public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of the
540 information.
541 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.