HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/HB 1569 Pub. Rec. and Meetings/Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Fatality Review
Teams
SPONSOR(S): Health & Human Services Committee, Hawkins
TIED BILLS: HB 1567 IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 1542
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee 17 Y, 0 N Osborne Brazzell
2) Ethics, Elections & Open Government 17 Y, 0 N Shapiro Toliver
Subcommittee
3) Health & Human Services Committee 19 Y, 0 N, As CS Osborne Calamas
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
Current law authorizes multidisciplinary, multiagency elder abuse fatality review teams (EA-FRTs) to be
established in each judicial circuit. EA-FRTs review closed cases where the death of an elderly person was
caused by, or related to, abuse or neglect in order to produce recommendations for improvements to the
systems involved in caring for elderly adults. An EA-FRT may only be initiated by a state attorney, and may
only review closed cases which have been referred by the state attorney and redacted according to public
records exemptions. This limits EA-FRTs to reviewing only cases which have been opened or criminally
prosecuted by the state attorney’s office. Currently only two EA-FRTs exist, one in the Fourth Judicial Circuit
and the other in Fifth Judicial Circuit.
The state attorney assigns closed cases to an EA-FRT, and redacts identifying information from such cases
before assignment. This means that the only cases turned over by a state attorney to an EA-FRT for review
are those cases which are no longer active and are open for public inspection. Additionally, a victim’s family or
any other person may voluntarily provide information to an EA-FRT and an EA-FRT may share information with
other EA-FRTs; however, a review team member may not directly contact a victim’s family. Such information is
subject to public disclosure unless it is otherwise protected by a public record exemption.
CS/HB 1569 creates public record and public meeting exemptions related to elder and vulnerable adult fatality
review teams (review teams). Specifically, the bill requires information obtained by a review team which is
exempt from public records requirements remains exempt when held by a review team. The bill creates a
public record exemption for records created or held by a review team which reveals the identity of a victim or
persons responsible for the victim’s welfare, and any information otherwise exempt or confidential and exempt.
The bill creates a public meeting exemption for portions of a review team meeting in which the identity of the
victim, the identity of the person responsible for the welfare of the victim, or otherwise exempt or confidential
information is discussed. Records created by a review team during such portions of meetings are also exempt
from public disclosure.
The bill includes a public necessity statement and states that the public records and public meeting exemptions
are subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act and will stand repealed on October 2, 2028, unless
saved from repeal by reenactment by the Legislature.
The bill will become effective on the same date that CS/CS/HB 1567 (2023) or similar legislation takes effect, if
such legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension thereof and becomes a law.
Article I, s. 24(c) of the Florida Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the members present and
voting for final passage of a newly created or expanded public record or public meeting exemption.
The bill creates a public record exemption; thus, it requires a two-thirds vote for final passage.
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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DATE: 4/24/2023
 FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Current Situation
Public Records
Article I, s. 24(a) of the Florida Constitution sets forth the state’s public policy regarding access to
government records. This section guarantees every person a right to inspect or copy any public record
of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
Public policy regarding access to government records is addressed further in s. 119.07(1), F.S., which
guarantees every person a right to inspect and copy any state, county, or municipal record, unless the
record is exempt.
Public Meetings
Article I, s. 24(b) of the Florida Constitution requires all meetings of any collegial public body of the
executive branch of state government or any collegial public body of a county, municipality, school
district, or special district, at which official acts are to be taken or at which public business of such body
is to be transacted or discussed, be open and noticed to the public.
Public policy regarding access to government meetings also is addressed in the Florida Statutes.
Section 286.011, F.S., known as the “Government in the Sunshine Law” or “Sunshine Law,” further
requires all meetings of any board or commission of any state agency or authority, or of any agency or
authority of any county, municipality, or political subdivision, at which official acts are to be taken be
open to the public at all times.1 The board or commission must provide reasonable notice of all public
meetings. Public meetings may not be held at any location that discriminates on the basis of sex, age,
race, creed, color, origin, or economic status or that operates in a manner that unreasonably restricts
the public’s access to the facility.2 Minutes of a public meeting must be promptly recorded and open to
public inspection.3 Failure to abide by public meeting requirements will invalidate any resolution, rule, or
formal action adopted at a meeting.4 A public officer or member of a governmental entity who violates
the Sunshine Law is subject to civil and criminal penalties. 5
Public Record and Public Meeting Exemptions
The Legislature may provide by general law for the exemption of records from the requirements of Art.
I, s. 24(a) and (b) of the Florida Constitution.6 The general law must state with specificity the public
necessity justifying the exemption7 and must be no broader than necessary to accomplish its purpose. 8
1
S. 286.011(1), F.S.
2
Id.
3 S. 286.011(2), F.S.
4 S. 286.011(1), F.S.
5 S. 286.011(3), F.S. Penalties include a fine of up to $500 or a second -degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 60
days imprisonment and a $500 fine.
6 Article I, s. 24(c), Fla. Const.
7 This portion of a public record exemption is commonly referred to as a “public necessity statement.”
8 Article I, s. 24(c), Fla. Const.
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 Furthermore, the Open Government Sunset Review Act9 provides that a public record or public meeting
exemption may be created or maintained only if it serves an identifiable public purpose. In addition, it
may be no broader than necessary to meet one of the following purposes: 10
 Allow the state or its political subdivisions to effectively and efficiently administer a
governmental program, which administration would be significantly impaired without the
exemption.
 Protect sensitive personal information that, if released, would be defamatory or would
jeopardize an individual’s safety; however, only the identity of an individual may be exempted
under this provision.
 Protect trade or business secrets.
The Open Government Sunset Review Act requires the automatic repeal of a newly created public
record exemption on October 2nd of the fifth year after creation or substantial amendment, unless the
Legislature reenacts the exemption.11
Elder Population in Florida
As the country’s “baby-boom” population reaches retirement age and life expectancy increases, the
nation’s elder population is projected to increase from 54.1 million in 2019 12 to 80.8 million by 2040.13
Florida has long been a destination state for senior citizens and has the second highest percentage of
senior residents in the nation.14 In 2022, Florida had an estimated 4.7 million people age 65 and older,
approximately 21 percent of the state’s population.15 By 2030, this number is projected to increase to
5.9 million, meaning the elderly will make up approximately one quarter of the state’s population and
will account for most of the state’s growth.16
Elder populations are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation due to risk factors associated with aging,
such as physical and mental infirmities and social isolation. 17 In Florida, almost 1.5 million senior
citizens live in medically underserved areas and approximately 758,000 have one or more disabilities. 18
The United States Department of Justice estimates that approximately one in 10 seniors is abused
each year in the United States, although only one out of every 23 cases of elder abuse is reported to
local authorities.19 Elder abuse can have significant physical and emotional effects on an older adult
9 S. 119.15, F.S.
10
S. 119.15(6)(b), F.S.
11 S. 119.15(3), F.S.
12 U.S. Census Bureau, 65 and Older Population Grows Rapidly as Bab y Boomers Age (June 25, 2020), Release Number: CB20-99,
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/65-older-population-grows.html (last visited March 22, 2023).
13
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, 2020 Profile of Older Americans (May 2021),
https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Aging%20and%20Disability%20in%20America/2020ProfileOlderAmericans.Final_.pdf (last visite d
March 22, 2023).
14 Id.
15 U.S. Census Bureau, Quick Facts – Florida. Available at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/FL# (last visited March 23,
2023).
16 Florida Office of Economic & Demographic Research, Florida Population b y Age Group. Available at
http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/population-demographics/data/pop_census_day-2020.pdf (last visited March 22, 2023).
17 National Center on Elder Abuse, Research, Statistics, and Data: Risk Factors and Protective Factors. Available at (last visited March
23, 2023); U.S. Department of Justice, What is Elder Ab use. Available at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/about-elder-abuse (last
visited March 23, 2023). See also, XinQi Dong, et al., Elder Ab use as a Risk Factor for Hospitalization in Older Persons, JAMA Intern
Med. 173:10 at 911-917 (2013).
18 Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2021 Profile of Older Floridians. Available at https://elderaffairs.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021_Florida-Profile.pdf (last visited March 23, 2023).
19
U.S. Department of Justice, Elder Ab use Statistics. Available at https://www.justice.gov/file/1098056/download (last visited March 19,
2023). See also, Ron Acierno et al., Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Ab use and Potential
Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study, 100:2 Am. J. Pub. Health, at 292-297 (Feb. 2010),
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804623/ (last visited March 23, 2023).
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 and can lead to premature death.20 Abused seniors are twice as likely to be hospitalized and three
times more likely to die than non-abused seniors.21
Elder abuse occurs in community settings, such as private homes, as well as in institutional settings
like nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Prevalent forms of abuse are financial
exploitation, neglect, emotional or psychological abuse, and physical abuse; however, an elder abuse
victim will often experience multiple forms of abuse at the same time.22 The most common perpetrators
of elder abuse are relatives, such as adult children or a spouse, followed by friends and neighbors, and
then home care aides.23 Research shows that elder abuse is underreported, often because the victims
fear retribution or care for or trust their perpetrators.24 Elder abuse deaths are more likely to go
undetected because an elder death is expected to occur, due to age or infirmity, more so than other
deaths due to abuse such as a child death or a death involving domestic violence.25 Experts believe
this may be one of the reasons elder abuse lags behind child abuse and domestic violence in research,
awareness, and systemic change.26
Elder Abuse Fatality Review Teams
Elder abuse fatality review teams (EA-FRT) are multidisciplinary, multiagency teams established in the
state’s judicial circuits to review elderly persons’ deaths alleged or found to have been caused by, or
related to, abuse or neglect.27 An EA-FRT is intended to identify any gaps, deficiencies, or problems in
the delivery of services related to the fatal incident. 28 An EA-FRT’s review includes consideration of the
events leading up to a fatal incident, available community resources, current law and policies, and the
actions taken by public and private systems and individuals related to the fatal incident.29
Under current law, a state attorney, or his or her designee, is the only entity capable of initiating an EA-
FRT, and the jurisdiction of the EA-FRT is limited to that of the state attorney’s judicial circuit.30 The
state attorney or designee who initiated an EA-FRT is responsible for calling the first organizational
meeting for the team.31 There are currently two EA-FRTs established by state attorneys in this state:
one in the Fourth Judicial Circuit32 and the other in the Fifth Judicial Circuit.33
The state attorney assigns closed cases to an EA-FRT, redacting identifying information from such
cases before assignment.34 A case is considered closed when it no longer contains active 35 information
related to ongoing intelligence gathering, an ongoing investigation, or pending prosecutions or appeals.
20 Id. See also, Mark S. Lachs et al., The Mortality of Elder Mistreatment, 280:5 JAMA at 428-432 (1998),
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/187817 (last visited March 23, 2023).
21 XinQi Dong et al., Elder Ab use as a Risk Factor for Hospitalization in Older Persons, JAMA Intern Med. 173:10 at 911-917 (2013).
22 National Center on Elder Abuse, Research, Statistics, and Data Behavioral Health: Social Conditions, Violence, and Elder
Mistreatment. Available at https://ncea.acl.gov/What-We-Do/Research/Statistics-and-Data.aspx (last visited March 23, 2023).
23
National Center on Elder Abuse, Research, Statistics, and Data: Perpetrator Identity. Available at https://ncea.acl.gov/About-
Us/What-We-Do/Research/Statistics-and-Data.aspx#perpetrators (last visited March 23, 2023).
24 United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Elder Ab use, Fact Sheet 2021. Available at
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/elder/preventingElderAbuseFactsheet.pdf (last visited March 23, 2022).
25 U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Elder Justice Roundtab le Report: Medical Forensic Issues Concerning
Ab use and Neglect, October 18, 2000, p. 8. Available at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/242221.pdf (last visited March 23, 2023).
26 Id. at pp. 7-10.
27 S. 415.1103(1)(a), F.S.
28 S. 415.1103(3)(c), F.S.
29
S. 415.1103(3)(b), F.S.
30
S. 415.1103(1)(a), F.S.
31 S. 415.1103(1)(e), F.S.
32 State Attorney’s Office of the 4 th Judicial District, Elder Abuse Fatality Review Team (EAFRT). Available at
https://sao4th.com/resources/for-the-public/elder-abuse-fatality-review-team-eafrt/ (last visited March 26, 2023).
33
State Attorney’s Office of the 5 th Judicial District, State Attorney Creates Elder Ab use Fatality Review Team . Available at
https://www.sao5.org/State-Attorney-Creates-Elder-Abuse-Fatality-Review-Team-1-9147.html (last visited March 26, 2023).
34 S. 415.1103(1)(e), F.S.
35 See s. 119.011(3), F.S.
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 This means that the only cases turned over by a state attorney to an EA-FRT for review are those
cases which are no longer active and are open for public inspection. Additionally, while EA-FRT
members may not directly contact a victim’s family, the family of a victim or any other person may
voluntarily provide information to an EA-FRT and an EA-FRT may share information with other EA-
FRTs.36 Such information is subject to public disclosure unless it is otherwise protected by a public
record exemption.
There is currently no public records exemption for the records created or held by an EA-FRT. There is
also no public meetings exemption for the meetings held by an EA-FRT in which the members discuss
sensitive or personal information.
Effect of the Bill
CS/HB 1569 creates public record and public meeting exemptions related to Elder and Vulnerable
Adult Fatality Review Teams (review teams). The tied bill, CS/CS/HB 1567, expands the scope of the
current elder abuse fatality review teams to include both elderly persons and vulnerable adults.
CS/CS/HB 1567, the tied bill, makes other changes to the operations of review teams, including
removing the requirement that the st