This bill amends section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes, which pertains to exemptions from public records requirements, specifically regarding property photographs and personal identifying information of applicants or participants in housing assistance programs. The bill deletes the scheduled repeal of the exemption that was set to occur on October 2, 2025, thereby ensuring that this exemption remains in effect indefinitely unless further legislative action is taken.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that certain information held by various governmental entities, including the Department of Commerce and local housing finance agencies, will continue to be confidential and exempt from public records inspection. This includes medical history records and information related to health or property insurance for individuals involved in housing assistance programs, as well as property photographs and personal identifying information used for disaster recovery assistance. The bill also maintains provisions for governmental access to these records for auditing purposes and allows for their use in administrative or judicial proceedings, while ensuring their confidentiality unless a court orders otherwise. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 7004 pb: 119.071