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ENROLLED
2026
Legislature
CS for SB 298
2026298er
1
2 An act relating to public records; amending s.
3 741.465, F.S.; providing that certain identifying
4 information of victims of dating violence who
5 participate in the Address Confidentiality Program for
6 Victims of Domestic and Dating Violence which are held
7 by the Office of the Attorney General or contained in
8 voter registration or voting records held by the
9 supervisor of elections or the Department of State are
10 exempt from public records requirements; providing for
11 retroactive application; providing for future
12 legislative review and repeal; providing statements of
13 public necessity; providing a contingent effective
14 date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 741.465, Florida Statutes, is amended to
19 read:
20 741.465 Public records exemption for the Address
21 Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic
and Dating
22 Violence.—
23
(1)
For purposes of this section, the term “address” means
24
a residential street address, school address, or work address,
25
as specified on the individual’s application to be a program
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participant in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims
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of Domestic and Dating Violence.
28
(2)
(1)
The addresses, corresponding telephone numbers, and
29 social security numbers of program participants in the Address
30 Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic
and Dating
31 Violence held by the Office of the Attorney General are exempt
32 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
33 Constitution, except the information may be disclosed under the
34 following circumstances: to a law enforcement agency for
35 purposes of assisting in the execution of a valid arrest
36 warrant; if directed by a court order, to a person identified in
37 the order; or if the certification has been canceled.
For
38
purposes of this section, the term “address” means a residential
39
street address, school address, or work address, as specified on
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the individual’s application to be a program participant in the
41
Address Confidentiality Program for Victims of Domestic
42
Violence.
43
(3)
(2)
The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of
44 participants in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims
45 of Domestic
and Dating
Violence contained in voter registration
46 and voting records held by the supervisor of elections and the
47 Department of State are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a),
48 Art. I of the State Constitution, except the information may be
49 disclosed under the following circumstances: to a law
50 enforcement agency for purposes of assisting in the execution of
51 an arrest warrant or, if directed by a court order, to a person
52 identified in the order. This exemption applies to information
53 made exempt by this subsection before, on, or after the
54 effective date of the exemption.
55
(4)(a)
Subsections (2) and (3) apply to records held by the
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Office of the Attorney General, the Department of State, and
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each supervisor of elections before, on, or after the effective
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date of the exemptions.
59
(b)
This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset
60
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
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on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
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through reenactment by the Legislature.
63 Section 2.
(1)
The Legislature finds that it is a public
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necessity that the addresses, corresponding telephone numbers,
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and social security numbers of victims of dating violence who
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participate in the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims
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of Domestic and Dating Violence held by the Office of the
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Attorney General be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida
69
Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The
70
Legislature recognizes that greater protection is needed for
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victims of dating violence, similar to that currently afforded
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to victims of domestic violence, to prevent harm from assailants
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or probable assailants who are attempting to find them. The
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Legislature finds that release of such information could
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significantly threaten the physical safety and security of
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victims of dating violence who participate in the program and
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that the harm that may result from the release of the
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information outweighs any public benefit that might result from
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public disclosure of the information.
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(2)
The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity
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that the names, addresses, and telephone numbers contained in
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voter registration and voting records of victims of dating
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violence who participate in the Address Confidentiality Program
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for Victims of Domestic and Dating Violence held by the
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supervisor of elections and the Department of State be made
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exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
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Article I of the State Constitution. Victims of dating violence
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who are participants in the program will have demonstrated to
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the Office of the Attorney General that there exists a risk to
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their physical safety and security. Nonetheless, these program
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participants must be afforded the ability to participate in
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society and cast a vote in elections. However, the supervisor of
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elections must have a verifiable address for a program
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participant in order to place the participant in the proper
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voting district and to maintain accurate records for compliance
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with state and federal requirements. The public record exemption
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for the name of a victim of dating violence who is a participant
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in the program is a public necessity because access to such name
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narrows the location of that participant to his or her voting
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area. In addition, access to such participant’s address and
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telephone number provides specific location and contact
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information for the participant. Therefore, access to the
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participant’s name, address, and telephone number defeats the
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sole purpose of the Address Confidentiality Program for Victims
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of Domestic and Dating Violence, which is to provide safety and
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security to every participant.
107 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that
108 SB 296 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation
109 is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension
110 thereof and becomes a law.