F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 299 2024
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public records; amending s.
3 696.031, F.S.; providing an exemption from public
4 records requirements for certain information provided
5 to a property appraiser as part of a title fraud
6 prevention pilot program; providing for future
7 legislative review and repeal; providing a statement
8 of 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. Subsection (6) of section 696.031, Florida
14 Statutes, as created by HB 289 or similar legislation, 2024
15 Regular Session, is renumbered as subsection (7), and a new
16 subsection (6) is added to that section, to read:
17 696.031 Title fraud prevention through sales contract
18 notification services; pilot program.—
19 (6)(a) The name, mailing address, e-mail address, and
20 phone number of a seller submitted to a property appraiser
21 pursuant to this section are confidential and exempt from s.
22 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
23 (b) This subsection is subject to the Open Government
24 Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand
25 repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 299 2024
26 repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
27 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public
28 necessity that the name, mailing address, e-mail address, and
29 phone number of a seller submitted to a property appraiser
30 pursuant to s. 696.031, Florida Statutes, be made confidential
31 and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes and s. 24(a) of
32 the State Constitution. The provisions of s. 696.031, Florida
33 Statutes, are created to protect real property owners from fraud
34 in real estate transactions by informing an owner that a
35 contract for the sale or purchase of his or her real estate has
36 been executed. Information required to be provided to the
37 property appraiser pursuant to s. 696.031, Florida Statutes, is
38 of a sensitive, personal nature, and disclosure of such
39 information about property seller is an invasion of that
40 person's privacy. Making public the private information of a
41 property seller could have a chilling effect on real property
42 sales.
43 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date
44 that HB 289 or other similar legislation takes effect, if such
45 legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an
46 extension thereof and becomes law.
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