The bill amends Section 877.19 of the Florida Statutes, transferring the responsibility of collecting and disseminating data on hate crimes from the Governor to the Attorney General, through the Department of Law Enforcement. It expands the public records exemption to include data on criminal acts that demonstrate prejudice as defined in sections 775.085 and 775.0863, thereby enhancing the confidentiality of such information. The Attorney General is now required to publish an annual report instead of a summary, and the bill includes a provision for future review and potential repeal of the expanded exemption by the Open Government Sunset Review Act.

Additionally, the bill emphasizes the necessity of broadening the existing public records exemption to ensure that data on hate crimes is confidential and exempt from public records requirements. This change aims to provide law enforcement agencies with a more comprehensive understanding of crimes motivated by prejudice, thereby allowing for more effective resource allocation. The act is contingent upon the passage of related legislation, SB 1312, during the same legislative session.

Statutes affected:
S 1314 Filed: 877.19