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 incidents of criminal acts that demonstrate prejudice based on the newly referenced sections 775.085 and 775.0863, which cover a broader range of prejudicial acts. 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.

Additionally, the bill emphasizes the necessity of maintaining confidentiality for the data collected under the Hate Crimes Reporting Act, ensuring that it is exempt from public records requirements. This is intended to protect the identities of victims while allowing law enforcement to better understand and address crimes motivated by prejudice. The act is contingent upon the passage of related legislation, SB 1312, within the same legislative session.

Statutes affected:
S 1314 Filed: 877.19