SB1426 • 2026

Accessing Personnel Files of Law Enforcement Officers

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Rodriguez
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not reach final passage as it died in committee.

Police Officer File Requests

This law requires police departments to keep a log of anyone who asks for and gets an officer's personnel file or other public record.

What This Bill Does

Creates a new section in Florida Statutes about accessing police officer files.
Defines 'employing agency' as the place where a police officer works.
Requires employing agencies to keep a log of people who ask for and receive an officer's personnel file or other public record.
Includes the name, address, and type of identification shown by the person asking for the records in the log.

Who It Names or Affects

Police departments that employ officers
People requesting police officer files

Terms To Know

employing agency: The organization or department where a police officer works.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear how this law will be enforced.
This bill did not pass all stages of the legislative process and died in committee.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability
2026-01-22 Senate
• Introduced
2026-01-16 Senate
• Referred to Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Criminal Justice; Rules
2026-01-08 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Accessing Personnel Files of Law Enforcement Officers; Requiring the employing agency of a law enforcement officer to maintain in the personnel file or other public record a log documenting the name, address, and identification presented of any person requesting and receiving from the employing agency such files or records of such officer, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1426

By
Senator Rodriguez

40-00781A-26 20261426__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to accessing personnel files of law
3 enforcement officers; creating s. 112.537, F.S.;
4 defining the term “employing agency”; requiring the
5 employing agency of a law enforcement officer to
6 maintain in the personnel file or other public record
7 a log documenting the name, address, and
8 identification presented of any person requesting and
9 receiving from the employing agency such files or
10 records of such officer; providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Section 112.537, Florida Statutes, is created
15 and incorporated into part VI of chapter 112, Florida Statutes,
16 to read:
17
112.
537

Access to public records
.—

18
(1)

As used in this section, the term “employing agency”

19
has the same meaning as in s. 943.10(4).

20
(2)

The employing agency of a law enforcement officer which

21
furnishes the personnel file or other public record of such

22
officer shall maintain in such file or record a log documenting

23
the name, address, and type of identification presented, if any,

24
of any person who requests and receives the personnel file or

25
other public record.

26 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.