This bill amends Florida Statutes to establish a public records exemption for the home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current legal assistants employed by the office of the public defender and the office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel. It also extends this protection to the personal identifying information of their spouses and children, as well as the names and locations of schools and daycare facilities attended by their children. The bill highlights the necessity of this exemption due to the potential risks faced by legal assistants from criminal defendants and their associates, which could threaten their safety and that of their families. The exemption is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act and will be reviewed for potential repeal by October 2, 2029, unless reenacted by the Legislature.

Additionally, the bill makes conforming changes to existing statutes, specifically amending section 744.21031 to ensure consistency with the new definitions and exemptions. It clarifies the definition of "telephone numbers" in relation to public records exemptions by updating the reference from s. 119.071(4)(d)1.c. to s. 119.071(4)(d)1.d. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
S 466 Filed: 119.071