Back to Florida

HB7001 • 2026

OGSR/Florida Gaming Control Commission

OGSR/Florida Gaming Control Commission

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Government Operations Subcommittee ; Nix
Last action
2026-03-09
Official status
House - Laid on Table, refer to SB 7008
Effective date
upon becom

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on specific requirements for recording closed sessions or explanations by the chair, only mentions that certain portions of meetings can be exempt from public record requirements.

Florida Gaming Control Commission Public Records Exemption

This bill removes the scheduled repeal of an exemption that allows the Florida Gaming Control Commission to keep certain information confidential and exempt from public record requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the planned end date for a rule that lets the Florida Gaming Control Commission keep some information secret.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Florida Gaming Control Commission
  • People who request public records from the commission

Terms To Know

Exempt Information
Information that does not have to be made public because it is protected by law.
Confidential and Exempt Information
Special information that must stay secret even from other government agencies unless there's a specific reason to share it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not change how the commission operates in general, only affects its public records rules.
  • It is unclear if this will affect any ongoing legal challenges or requests for information already made by the public.
  • This legislation applies specifically to Florida and does not impact other states.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-09 House

    • Laid on Table, refer to SB 7008

  2. 2026-02-16 House

    • Added to Second Reading Calendar

  3. 2026-02-10 House

    • Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/19/2026)

  4. 2026-01-22 House

    • Favorable by State Affairs Committee • Reported out of State Affairs Committee • Bill released to House Calendar • Added to Second Reading Calendar

  5. 2026-01-20 House

    • Added to State Affairs Committee agenda

  6. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  7. 2025-12-03 House

    • Reported out of Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Now in State Affairs Committee

  8. 2025-12-02 House

    • Favorable by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee

  9. 2025-11-24 House

    • Added to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee agenda

  10. 2025-11-12 House

    • Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee

  11. 2025-11-05 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

OGSR/Florida Gaming Control Commission; Removes scheduled repeal of exemption from public record & public meeting requirements for exempt or confidential & exempt information obtained by Florida Gaming Control Commission.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB 7001 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb7001-00
Page 1 of 3
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 a review under the Open Government 2
Sunset Review Act; amending s. 16.716, F.S., which 3
provides an exemption from public record and public 4
meeting requirements for exempt or confidential and 5
exempt information obtained by the Florida Gaming 6
Control Commission; removing the scheduled repeal of 7
the exemption; providing an effective date. 8
9
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
11
Section 1. Section 16.716, Florida Statutes, is amended to 12
read: 13
16.716 Florida Gaming Control Commission public records 14
and public meetings exemptions.— 15
(1)(a) Any information obtained by the Florida Gaming 16
Control Commission which is exempt or confidential and exempt 17
from s. 119.07(1) or s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution 18
shall retain its exempt or confidential and exempt status. The 19
information may be released by the commission, upon written 20
request, to an agency, as defined in s. 119.011, or a 21
governmental entity in the performance of the commission's 22
official duties and responsibilities. An agency or a 23
governmental entity receiving such information from the 24
commission shall maintain the exempt or confidential and exempt 25

HB 7001 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb7001-00
Page 2 of 3
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

status of the information. 26
(2)(b)1. Any portion of a meeting of the commission during 27
which information that is exempt or confidential and exempt is 28
discussed is exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the 29
State Constitution. 30
(a)a. The chair of the commission shall advise the 31
commission at a public meeting that, in connection with the 32
performance of a commission duty, it is necessary that the 33
commission hear or discuss information that is exempt or 34
confidential and exempt. 35
(b)b. The chair's declaration of necessity for closure and 36
the specific reasons for such necessity shall be stated in 37
writing in a record that shall be a public record and shall be 38
filed with the official records of the commission. 39
(c)c. The entire closed session shall be recorded. The 40
recording shall include the times of commencement and 41
termination of the closed session, all discussion and 42
proceedings, and the names of all persons present. No portion of 43
the session may be off the record. Such recording shall be 44
maintained by the commission. 45
(d)2. Only members of the commission, Department of Legal 46
Affairs staff, or commission staff supporting the commission's 47
function and other persons whose presence is necessary for the 48
presentation of exempt or confidential and exempt information 49
shall be allowed to attend the exempted portions of the 50

HB 7001 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb7001-00
Page 3 of 3
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

commission meetings. The commission shall ensure that any 51
closure of its meetings as authorized by this subsection 52
paragraph is limited so that the general policy of this state in 53
favor of public meetings is maintained. 54
(e)3. A recording of, and any minutes and records 55
generated during, that portion of a commission meeting which is 56
closed to the public pursuant to this subsection paragraph are 57
confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I 58
of the State Constitution until such time as the information is 59
no longer exempt or confidential and exempt. 60
(2) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset 61
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and is repealed on 62
October 2, 2026, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through 63
reenactment by the Legislature. 64
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 65