BILL SUMMARY DETAILS

CS/SB 784 (Burgess) allows a local law enforcement agency to develop and maintain a Special Persons Registry. The registry contains a list of persons who have developmental, psychological or other disabilities or conditions that may be relevant to their interactions with law enforcement officers. CS/SB 786 (Burgess) creates a public records exemption for all records, data, information, correspondence and communications relating to and submitted in connection with the enrollment of persons in the Special Persons Registry. (Taggart)

HB 1575 (Brackett) and CS/SB 1614 (Rodriguez) require local authorities to have a qualified third party certify that the jurisdiction’s public safety emergency communications system meets or exceeds the minimum radio coverage design criteria for emergency services communications systems in the current edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) before the local authority having jurisdiction requires an assessment for the need of a two-way radio communications enhancement system in a new or existing building. If the third party proves the authority has a valid radio coverage design certification, the authority may only require an assessment of a new or existing building’s interior radio coverage and signal strength in such building once every three years for high-rise buildings or once every five years for any other buildings in order to determine the need for a two-way radio communications enhancement system.

If an assessment of a new building’s interior radio coverage and signal strength determines that installation of a two-way radio communications enhancement system is required, the authority may not withhold the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the building if the registered architect or professional engineer who designed the building determines, in his or her professional judgment, that a two-way radio communications enhancement system is not necessary in order for the building to meet the minimum standards for interior radio coverage and signal strength. The authority may not require the installation of a two-way radio communications enhancement system until at least 90 days after the building’s interior radio coverage and signal strength assessment report is completed. (Taggart)

HB 215 (Rayner-Goolsby) and HB 456 (Berman) prohibit the possession or use of a firearm in "sensitive locations." The bills define a sensitive location as numerous public facilities including but not limited to buildings or facilities owned, leased or operated by government entities, including public transportation. (Taggart)

CS/HB 341 (Amesty) and CS/SB 980 (Brodeur) revise the time period that a 911 public safety telecommunicator certificate may remain inactive or be reactivated from 180 days to six years. CS/SB 980 was amended to remove the requirement that the certificate holder must request their inactive status and instead makes that automatic after six years and removes the $50 fee. (Taggart)

CS/CS/SB 1126 (Avila) and CS/HB 1539 (Rizo) would make it unlawful for any person, after receiving a warning from a first responder not to approach, to violate such warning and approach or remain within 20 feet of a first responder who is engaged in the lawful performance of any legal or emergent duty, with the intent to: 1. Interrupt, disrupt, hinder, impede or interfere with the first responder’s ability to perform such duty; 2. Provoke a physical response from the first responder; or 3. Directly or indirectly harass the first responder or make so much noise that a first responder is prevented from performing their official duties or providing medical aid. CS/CS/SB 1126 was amended to reduce the distance to 14 feet or roughly the size of a midsize sedan vehicle. (Taggart)

CS/HB 1595 (Fernandez-Barquin and Yarkosky) and SB 1588 (Burgess) – Current law sets out a process to prevent municipalities from reducing law enforcement budgets. The current process allows the state attorney or a member of the governing body of a city to file a petition to the Administration Commission (comprised of the Governor and Cabinet) within 30 days after the municipality posts its tentative budget if the budget contains a funding reduction to the operating budget of the municipal law enforcement agency. The governing body of the municipality then has five working days to file a reply with the Executive Office of the Governor and must deliver a copy of the reply to the petitioner. After receiving the petition, the Executive Office of the Governor must provide for a budget hearing to discuss the petition and the reply. The Administration Commission then has 30 days to provide a report of findings and approve or modify the municipal budget. SB 1588 modifies this process to have all petitions and hearings be overseen by the Division of Administrative Hearings instead of the Administration Commission and the Executive Office of the Governor. The bill also states that the budget reduction must be more than 5% compared to the previous year to qualify. (Taggart)

CS/HB 364 (Avila) and CS/CS/HB 535 (Botana) allow a law enforcement agency to grant administrative leave, up to eight hours, to a law enforcement officer in order to attend a funeral of an officer killed in the line of duty. The bills specify that expenses incurred with bereavement travel are to be reimbursed by the agency. The bills also increase the amount to be paid toward the funeral and burial expenses of an officer from $1,000 to $10,000. Both bills were amended to limit travel to within the state of Florida. (Taggart)

HB 313 (Rudman) and SB 560 (Trumbull) – Pub. Rec./Active Duty Servicemembers and Families

SB 1316 (Broduer) – Information Dissemination

HB 1495 (Holcomb) and SB 1616 (Martin) – Pub. Rec./Security and Transportation Services Records

HB 1549 (McFarland) and SB 1648 (Bradley) – Pub. Rec./Investigations by the Department of Legal Affairs

SB 552 (Hooper) and HB 1437 (Esposito) – Public Records/Broadband Opportunity Program

SB 842 (Harrell) provides a public records exemption for the personal identifying information of a person reporting a potential code violation. (Taggart)

HB 157 (Holcomb) and SB 518 (DiCeglie) provide a public records exemption for the personal information of individuals who foster or adopt an animal from an animal shelter or animal control agency operated by a local government. (Taggart)

CS/SB 216 (Burgess) and CS/HB 525 (Arrington) create a public records exemption for the personal identifying and location information of current county and city attorneys and assistant/deputy county and city attorneys, as well as information regarding the spouses and children of those attorneys. (Taggart)

HB 495 (Antone) creates the Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities within the Department of Law Enforcement. The purpose of the commission is to investigate system failures and the causes and reasons for high crime and gun violence incidents in urban and inner-city neighborhoods and communities and to develop recommendations for system improvements. Linked to HB 495, HB 497 (Antone) creates a public meeting exemption for the Commission on Public Safety in Urban and Inner-City Communities when exempt or confidential information is discussed. This provision is set to sunset in 2028. (Taggart)

HB 7007 (Ethics, Elections & Open Government Subcommittee) saves from repeal the public record and public meeting exemption for security or firesafety system plans for any property owned by or leased to the state or any of its political subdivisions or for any privately owned or leased property held by an agency, information related to such systems, as well as any portion of a meeting relating directly to or that would reveal such systems, plans or information. (Taggart)

HB 7001 (Yarkosky) and SB 7006 (Governmental Oversight and Accountability) save from repeal the public record exemption for information related to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. SB 7006 passed the Senate (38-0) and the House (108-0) and is awaiting action by the Governor. (Taggart)

HB 7009 (Ethics, Elections & Open Government Subcommittee) and SB 7008 (Governmental Oversight and Accountability) save from repeal the public record exemption for building plans, blueprints and schematic drawings. The exemption does not apply to comprehensive plans or site plans that are submitted for approval or that have been approved under local land development regulations, local zoning regulations or development-of-regional-impact review. SB 7008 passed the Senate (38-0) and the House (109-0) and is awaiting action by the Governor. (Taggart)

HB 279 (Jacques) and SB 310 (Collins) would require federal law enforcement agencies that are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act and have a physical office in Florida to comply with the state's public records requirements. (Taggart)

SB 1264 (Rouson) requires an agency to provide an electronic option for the payment of any fee associated with a request to inspect or copy public records. (Taggart)

SB 1516 (Pizzo) and HB 1527 (Joseph) require governmental agencies to provide members of the Legislature and the Florida cabinet any requested documents within seven days after receiving the request. The governmental entity may not redact the records and must waive all fees associated with the request. The legislative member or the cabinet member requesting the records is responsible for keeping the records confidential and may only share the records with another member of the Legislature. The requestee must submit a form to the agency releasing the records acknowledging this obligation. (Taggart)

SB 918 (DiCeglie) directs the Office of Supplier Diversity of the Department of Management Services to establish a Small Business Certification Program. The bill requires local governments to accept this small business certification regardless of any additional local certification process. (Taggart)

CS/CS/SB 264 (Collins) and CS/HB 1355 (Borrero) prohibit governmental agencies from knowingly entering into a contract with an entity that would give access to an individual’s personal information if the entity is owned by a foreign country of concern or a foreign country of concern has a controlling interest in the entity. These provisions would also apply to entities that have their principal place of business in a foreign country of concern. Beginning January 1, 2024, the bills require governmental agencies to receive a signed affidavit under penalty of perjury attesting that they do not meet the criteria as described above. Foreign countries of concern include: the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro and the Syrian Arab Republic. The bills direct the Attorney General to enforce these provisions. The bills also prohibit governmental entities from providing economic incentives to foreign countries of concern. (Taggart)