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CS/HB 251 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb251-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public records; amending s. 2
119.071, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 3
records requirements for the personal identifying and 4
location information of current emergency department 5
physicians and the spouses and certain children of 6
such emergency department physicians; providing for 7
retroactive application; requiring certain agencies 8
that are custodians of exempt information to maintain 9
the exempt status of such information under certain 10
circumstances; specifying procedures for requesting an 11
agency to maintain the exempt status of such 12
information until the exemption no longer applies to 13
the individual; providing for future legislative 14
review and repeal of the exemption; providing a 15
statement of public necessity; providing an effective 16
date. 17
18
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
20
Section 1. Paragraph (l) is added to subsection (5) of 21
section 119.071, Florida Statutes, to read: 22
119.071 General exemptions from inspection or copying of 23
public records.— 24
(5) OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION.— 25
CS/HB 251 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(l) For purposes of this paragraph, the term "emergency 26
department physician" means a physician licensed under chapter 27
458 or chapter 459 whose duties are performed in a hospital 28
emergency department licensed under chapter 395. 29
1. The home addresses, personal telephone numbers, and 30
dates of birth of current emergency department physicians; the 31
names, home addresses, personal telephone numbers, dates of 32
birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children 33
younger than 26 years of age of such emergency department 34
physicians; and the names and locations of schools and day care 35
facilities attended by the children younger than 26 years of age 36
of such emergency department physicians are exempt from s. 37
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 38
2. The exemption in subparagraph 1. applies to information 39
held by an agency before, on, or after July 1, 2026. 40
3. An agency that is the custodian of information 41
specified in subparagraph 1. and that is not the employer of the 42
emergency department physician must maintain the exempt status 43
of that information only if the individual requests the 44
maintenance of an exemption under subparagraph 1. on the basis 45
of eligibility as a current emergency department physician or 46
the spouse or child younger than 26 years of age of such 47
emergency department physician and the individual submits a 48
written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption 49
to the custodial agency. The request must state under oath the 50
CS/HB 251 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
statutory basis for the individual's exemption request and 51
confirm the individual's eligibility for the exemption. An 52
individual who has submitted such a request has a duty to 53
withdraw the request if the exemption no longer applies to the 54
individual. If a custodial agency receives a request meeting the 55
requirements of this subparagraph, the custodial agency must 56
maintain the exempt status of such information applicable to the 57
individual until the qualifying conditions for the exemption 58
under subparagraph 1. no longer apply to the individual subject 59
to the exemption. 60
4. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset 61
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 62
on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal 63
through reenactment by the Legislature. 64
Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public 65
necessity that the home addresses, personal telephone numbers, 66
and dates of birth of current emergency department physicians; 67
the names, home addresses, personal telephone numbers, dates of 68
birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children 69
younger than 26 years of age of such emergency department 70
physicians; and the names and locations of schools and day care 71
facilities attended by the children younger than 26 years of age 72
of such emergency department physicians be made exempt from s. 73
119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the 74
State Constitution. Emergency department physicians, by the 75
CS/HB 251 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
nature of their duties, are often placed in traumatic 76
circumstances in which loss of life and severe bodily injuries 77
have occurred. Such emergency department physicians are 78
particularly vulnerable to physical violence, harassment, and 79
intimidation perpetrated by patients or relatives of patients 80
who can be violent, angry, or mentally unstable. As a result, 81
the Legislature finds that the release of personal identifying 82
and location information of emergency department physicians, or 83
of the spouses and children younger than 26 years of age of such 84
emergency department physicians, could place them in danger of 85
being physically or emotionally harmed or stalked by a person 86
who has a hostile reaction to his or her encounter with such 87
emergency department physicians. The Legislature further finds 88
that the harm that may result from the release of such personal 89
identifying and location information outweighs any public 90
benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of the 91
information. 92
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 93