This bill amends section 943.0579 of the Florida Statutes to establish the effect of expungement orders for criminal history records related to qualifying marijuana offenses. It introduces a new subsection (5) that mandates the physical destruction or obliteration of expunged records by criminal justice agencies, while allowing the Department of Law Enforcement to retain such records as confidential and exempt from public records requirements. The bill also outlines specific circumstances under which individuals with expunged records may lawfully deny or fail to acknowledge their arrests, as well as the penalties for unauthorized disclosure of information regarding these records.

Additionally, the bill includes a statement of public necessity, emphasizing the need for confidentiality regarding criminal history records for low-level, nonviolent marijuana offenses to prevent lifelong challenges in employment and housing for affected individuals. It also stipulates that the new provisions will be subject to review and potential repeal by the Legislature by October 2, 2030, unless reenacted. The act will take effect concurrently with related legislation, SB 1026, if passed in the same session.