HB0627 • 2026

Pub. Rec./Law Enforcement Officers Actively Engaged in Official Duty

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Criminal Justice Subcommittee ; Berfield ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Fabricio
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Judiciary Committee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Pub. Rec./Law Enforcement Officers Actively Engaged in Official Duty

Pub.

What This Bill Does

Pub.
Rec./Law Enforcement Officers Actively Engaged in Official Duty; Authorizes certain law enforcement officers to decline to accept or process public records requests; provides requirements for such officers; provides penalty.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

323511

Committee amendment H 627 Filed • Berfield

Adopted 2/5/2026

Plain English: COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No.

COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No.
HB 627 (2026) Amendment No.
1 323511 - h627-line 18.docx Published On: 2/4/2026 2:08:33 PM Page 1 of 2 COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE ACTION ADOPTED (Y/N) ADOPTED AS AMENDED (Y/N) ADOPTED W/O OBJECTION (Y/N) FAILED TO ADOPT (Y/N) WITHDRAWN (Y/N) OTHER Committee/Subcommittee hearing bill: Criminal Justice 1 Subcommittee 2 Representative Berfield offered the following: 3 4 Amendment (with title amendment) 5 Remove lines 18-35 and insert: 6 official law enforcement activity, may decline to accept or 7 process a public records request at such time.
8 (b) The determination of whether an officer is actively 9 engaged in the performance of an official duty under this 10 subsection shall be made by the officer.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Judiciary Committee
2026-02-11 House
• Favorable by Government Operations Subcommittee • Reported out of Government Operations Subcommittee • Now in Judiciary Committee
2026-02-09 House
• Added to Government Operations Subcommittee agenda
2026-02-06 House
• Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Government Operations Subcommittee
2026-02-05 House
• Favorable with CS by Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Reported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) • CS Filed • 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2026-02-03 House
• Added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2025-12-12 House
• Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2025-12-03 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Pub. Rec./Law Enforcement Officers Actively Engaged in Official Duty; Authorizes certain law enforcement officers to decline to accept or process public records requests; provides requirements for such officers; provides penalty.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

CS/HB 627 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb627-01-c1
Page 1 of 2
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. 119.07, 2
F.S.; authorizing certain law enforcement officers to 3
decline to accept or process public records requests; 4
providing requirements for such officers; providing a 5
penalty; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. Subsection (10) is added to section 119.07, 10
Florida Statutes, to read: 11
119.07 Inspection and copying of records; photographing 12
public records; fees; exemptions.— 13
(10)(a) A law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 14
943.10(1), who is actively engaged in the performance of an 15
official duty, including, but not limited to, a call for 16
service, an investigation, a case-related activity, or any other 17
official law enforcement activity, may decline to accept or 18
process a public records request at such time. 19
(b) The determination of whether an officer is actively 20
engaged in the performance of an official duty under this 21
subsection shall be made by the officer. Upon such 22
determination, the officer must verbally inform the requestor 23
that he or she cannot accept or process the request and must 24
direct the requestor to: 25

CS/HB 627 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb627-01-c1
Page 2 of 2
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. The custodian of records for the officer's employing 26
agency; or 27
2. An official public records request portal, if 28
available. 29
(c) A person who, after being informed as required under 30
paragraph (b), knowingly and willfully persists in attempting to 31
compel an officer to accept or process a public records request 32
while the officer is actively engaged in the performance of an 33
official duty commits the offense of resisting an officer 34
without violence in violation of s. 843.02. 35
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 36