Read the full stored bill text
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 1 of 7
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
409.175, F.S.; providing confidentiality and an 3
exemption from public records requirements for the 4
personal identifying and location information of 5
applicants for family foster homes and the names and 6
personal identifying and location information of the 7
spouses, children, and other adult household members 8
of such applicants; providing confidentiality and an 9
exemption from public records requirements for the 10
personal identifying and location information of 11
current and former owners and operators of family 12
foster homes and the names and personal identifying 13
and location information of the spouses, children, and 14
other adult household members of such owners and 15
operators; providing confidentiality and an exemption 16
from public records requirements for the personal 17
identifying and location information of character or 18
neighbor references of a family foster home applicant 19
or a current or former owner or operator of a family 20
foster home; providing for future legislative review 21
and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of 22
public necessity; providing an effective date. 23
24
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 2 of 7
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
26
Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 409.175, Florida 27
Statutes, is amended to read: 28
409.175 Licensure of family foster homes, residential 29
child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies; public 30
records exemption.— 31
(16)(a)1. The following information held by the Department 32
of Children and Families regarding a family foster home parent 33
applicant and his or her such applicant's spouse, children minor 34
child, and other adult household members member is confidential 35
and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 36
Constitution: 37
a. The home, business, work, child care, or school 38
addresses and telephone numbers; 39
b. Birth dates; 40
c. Medical records; 41
d. The floor plan of the home; and 42
e. Photographs of such persons. 43
2. If a foster parent applicant does not receive a foster 44
parent license, the information made exempt pursuant to this 45
paragraph shall become public 5 years after the date of 46
application, except that medical records shall remain exempt 47
from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 48
Constitution. 49
2.3. This exemption applies to information made 50
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 3 of 7
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
confidential and exempt by this paragraph before, on, or after 51
the effective date of the exemption. 52
(b)1. The following information held by the Department of 53
Children and Families regarding a current or former owner or 54
operator of a family foster home and his or her licensed foster 55
parent and the foster parent's spouse, children minor child, and 56
other adult household members member is confidential and exempt 57
from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 58
Constitution: 59
a. The home, business, work, child care, or school 60
addresses and telephone numbers; 61
b. Birth dates; 62
c. Medical records; 63
d. The floor plan of the home; and 64
e. Photographs of such persons. 65
2. If a foster parent's license is no longer active, the 66
information made exempt pursuant to this paragraph shall become 67
public 5 years after the expiration date of such foster parent's 68
foster care license except that: 69
a. Medical records shall remain exempt from s. 119.07(1) 70
and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 71
b. Exempt information regarding a licensed foster parent 72
who has become an adoptive parent and exempt information 73
regarding such foster parent's spouse, minor child, or other 74
adult household member shall remain exempt from s. 119.07(1) and 75
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 4 of 7
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
s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 76
2.3. This exemption applies to information made 77
confidential and exempt by this paragraph before, on, or after 78
the effective date of the exemption. 79
(c) The name, address, and telephone number of persons 80
providing character or neighbor references regarding a family 81
foster home applicant or a current or former owner or operator 82
of a family foster home foster parent applicants or licensed 83
foster parents held by the Department of Children and Families 84
are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. 85
I of the State Constitution. 86
(d) This subsection is subject to the Open Government 87
Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand 88
repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from 89
repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 90
Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 91
necessity that the home, business, work, child care, or school 92
addresses of family foster home applicants and the spouses, 93
children, and household members of those applicants, along with 94
the birth dates, medical records, home floor plans, and 95
photographs of such persons held by the Department of Children 96
and Families be made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), 97
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article 1 of the State 98
Constitution. Such identifying and location information can be 99
used to locate family foster home applicants, their family 100
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 5 of 7
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
members and household members, and the children placed in the 101
family foster home by the Department of Children and Families to 102
threaten or harm the applicant, the applicant's family and 103
household members, and the foster children; to perpetuate fraud 104
against any of these individuals; or to acquire sensitive 105
personal, financial, medical, and familial information, the 106
release of which could cause great financial harm to the 107
individual. 108
(2) The Legislature finds that the home, business, work, 109
child care, or school addresses of the current or former owner 110
or operator of a family foster home and the spouses, children, 111
and household members of those owners and operators, along with 112
the birth dates, medical records, home floor plans, and 113
photographs of such persons held by the Department of Children 114
and Families be made confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), 115
Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article 1 of the State 116
Constitution. Such identifying and location information can be 117
used to locate owners and operators of family foster homes, 118
their family members and household members, and the children 119
placed in the family foster home by the Department of Children 120
and Families to threaten or harm the owner or operator, the 121
owner or operator's family and household members, and the foster 122
children; to perpetuate fraud against any of these individuals; 123
or to acquire sensitive personal, financial, medical, and 124
familial information, the release of which could cause great 125
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 6 of 7
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
financial harm to the individual. 126
(3) The Legislature finds that the name, address, and 127
telephone number of persons providing character or neighbor 128
references regarding a family foster home applicant or a current 129
or former owner or operator of a family foster home held by the 130
Department of Children and Families be made confidential and 131
exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), 132
Article 1 of the State Constitution. Such identifying and 133
location information can be used to locate character or neighbor 134
references regarding a family foster home applicant or a current 135
or former owner or operator of a family foster home to threaten 136
or harm the character or neighbor reference; to perpetuate fraud 137
against any of these individuals; or to acquire sensitive 138
personal, financial, medical, and familial information, the 139
release of which could cause great financial harm to the 140
individual. 141
(4) Children placed in a family foster home are often 142
removed from the care of their biological parents due to 143
physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; domestic violence; drug 144
use; neglect; and many other reasons for which the state has 145
identified the children are in danger. As such, it is necessary 146
to protect the location of such children from being known, 147
directly or indirectly, by their biological parents until the 148
case has been litigated and the children have been returned to 149
their biological parents upon satisfactory completion of their 150
CS/HB 287 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb287-01-c1
Page 7 of 7
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
case plan and having their parenting rights restored. As a 151
result of being the person ultimately responsible for the care 152
of a child who is removed from the home of his or her biological 153
parents, owners and operators of family foster homes may incur 154
the ill will of the biological parents, thus making such owners 155
and operators and their other children targets for acts of 156
revenge. If such identifying and location information is 157
released, the safety of the owners and operators of family 158
foster homes and all children living with them could be 159
seriously jeopardized. Additionally, exposing such information 160
of family foster home applicants and their families may cause a 161
chilling effect on the number of applications received because 162
of the potential exposure of sensitive personal information, 163
thereby reducing the number of foster families willing to foster 164
children. The Legislature further finds that the harm that may 165
result from the release of such personal identifying and 166
location information outweighs any public benefit that may be 167
derived from the disclosure of the information. 168
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 169