The bill amends Section 877.19 of the Florida Statutes, known as the Hate Crimes Reporting Act, by transferring the responsibility of collecting and disseminating data on incidents of criminal acts that evidence prejudice from the Governor to the Attorney General, through the Department of Law Enforcement. It expands the public records exemption to include data related to criminal acts evidencing prejudice as defined in sections 775.085 and 775.0863, and mandates that the Attorney General publish an annual report instead of a summary. Additionally, the bill introduces a provision for future review and potential repeal of the expanded exemption, which is set to be reviewed by October 2, 2030.

The legislation emphasizes the necessity of broadening the existing public records exemption to ensure that information gathered under the Hate Crimes Reporting Act remains confidential and exempt from public records requirements. This is intended to enhance the accuracy of data regarding victims of crimes evidencing prejudice, thereby providing law enforcement agencies with a clearer understanding of such crimes and allowing for more effective resource allocation. The bill is contingent upon the passage of related legislation, HB 1029, within the same legislative session.

Statutes affected:
H 1031 Filed: 877.19