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HB 511 2026
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hb511-00
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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
119.0713, F.S.; defining terms; providing an exemption 3
from public records requirements for body camera 4
recordings recorded by a code inspector under certain 5
circumstances; providing exceptions; requiring a local 6
government to retain body camera recordings for a 7
specified timeframe; providing for retroactive 8
application; providing construction; providing for 9
future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; 10
providing a statement of public necessity; directing 11
the Division of Library and Information Services of 12
the Department of State to adopt a specified retention 13
requirement for certain body camera recordings by a 14
specified date; providing a contingent effective date. 15
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 119.0713, 19
Florida Statutes, to read: 20
119.0713 Local government agency exemptions from 21
inspection or copying of public records.— 22
(6)(a) As used in this subsection, the term: 23
1. "Body camera" means a portable electronic recording 24
device that is worn on a code inspector's body and that records 25
HB 511 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
audio and video data in the course of the performance of his or 26
her official duties and responsibilities. 27
2. "Code inspector" has the same meaning as in s. 28
162.04(2). 29
3. "Personal representative" means a parent, a court-30
appointed guardian, an attorney, or an agent of, or a person 31
holding a power of attorney for, a person recorded by a body 32
camera. If a person depicted in the recording is deceased, the 33
term also means the personal representative of the estate of the 34
deceased person; the deceased person's surviving spouse, parent, 35
or adult child; the deceased person's attorney or agent; or the 36
parent or guardian of a surviving minor child of the deceased. 37
An agent must possess written authorization of the recorded 38
person to act on his or her behalf. 39
(b) A body camera recording, or a portion thereof, is 40
confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I 41
of the State Constitution if the recording: 42
1. Is taken within the interior of a private residence; 43
2. Is taken within the interior of a facility that offers 44
health care, mental health care, or social services; or 45
3. Is taken in a place that a reasonable person would 46
expect to be private. 47
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), a body camera 48
recording, or a portion thereof, may be disclosed by a local 49
government: 50
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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
1. In furtherance of its official duties and 51
responsibilities; or 52
2. To another governmental agency in the furtherance of 53
its official duties and responsibilities. 54
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), a body camera 55
recording, or a portion thereof, must be disclosed by a local 56
government: 57
1. To a person recorded by the body camera; however, a 58
local government may disclose only those portions relevant to 59
the person's presence in the recording; 60
2. To the personal representative of a person recorded by 61
the body camera; however, a local government may disclose only 62
those portions relevant to the represented person's presence in 63
the recording; 64
3. To a person not depicted in the body camera recording 65
if the recording depicts a place in which the person lawfully 66
resided, dwelled, or lodged at the time of the recording; 67
however, a local government may disclose only those portions 68
that record the interior of such a place; or 69
4. Pursuant to a court order. 70
a. In addition to any other grounds the court may consider 71
in determining whether to order that a body camera recording be 72
disclosed, the court shall consider whether: 73
(I) Disclosure is necessary to advance a compelling 74
interest; 75
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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
(II) The recording contains information that is otherwise 76
exempt or confidential and exempt under the law; 77
(III) The person requesting disclosure is seeking to 78
obtain evidence to determine legal issues in a case in which the 79
person is a party; 80
(IV) Disclosure would reveal information regarding a 81
person which is of a highly sensitive personal nature; 82
(V) Disclosure may harm the reputation or jeopardize the 83
safety of a person depicted in the recording; 84
(VI) Confidentiality is necessary to prevent a serious and 85
imminent threat to the fair, impartial, and orderly 86
administration of justice; 87
(VII) The recording could be redacted to protect privacy 88
interests; and 89
(VIII) There is good cause to disclose all or portions of 90
the recording. 91
b. In any proceeding regarding the disclosure of a body 92
camera recording, the local government that made the recording 93
must be given reasonable notice of hearings and an opportunity 94
to participate. 95
(e) A local government shall retain a body camera 96
recording for at least 90 days. 97
(f) The exemption provided in paragraph (b) applies 98
retroactively. 99
(g) This subsection does not supersede any other public 100
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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
records exemption that existed before or is created after the 101
effective date of this exemption. Those portions of a recording 102
which are protected from disclosure by another public records 103
exemption continue to be exempt or confidential and exempt. 104
(h) This subsection is subject to the Open Government 105
Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand 106
repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from 107
repeal through reenactment by the Legislature. 108
Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 109
necessity that the following types of body camera recordings 110
recorded by a code inspector in the course of performing his or 111
her official duties and responsibilities be made confidential 112
and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), 113
Article I of the State Constitution: recordings taken within the 114
interior of a private residence; recordings taken within the 115
interior of a facility that offers health care, mental health 116
care, or social services; and recordings taken in a place that a 117
reasonable person would expect to be private. 118
(2) The Legislature recognizes that body cameras preserve 119
information that has the potential to assist both code 120
inspectors' and the public's ability to review the accuracy of 121
code inspection work. 122
(3) However, the Legislature also finds that, in certain 123
instances, audio and video recorded by body cameras is 124
significantly likely to capture highly sensitive personal 125
HB 511 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
information. The exemption of body camera recordings from public 126
records requirements allows code inspectors to administer their 127
duties more effectively and efficiently, which would otherwise 128
be significantly impaired. The Legislature finds that the 129
concerns regarding the impact of public records requirements for 130
body camera recordings necessitate the exemption of the 131
recordings from public records requirements and outweigh any 132
public benefit that may be derived from their disclosure. 133
Section 3. By October 1, 2026, the Division of Library and 134
Information Services of the Department of State shall by rule 135
incorporate into the appropriate general records schedule a 90-136
day retention requirement for body camera recordings recorded by 137
code inspectors. 138
Section 4. This act shall take effect on the same date 139
that HB 509 or similar legislation takes effect, if such 140
legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an 141
extension thereof and becomes a law. 142