FL H1183

Creates section 916.1065 of Florida Statutes to make forensic behavioral health evaluations filed with courts confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements under Florida Statutes 119.07(1) and Article I, section 24(a) of the State Constitution.

Defines "forensic behavioral health evaluation" to include any records or supporting documentation derived from competency, substance abuse, psychosexual, psychological, psychiatric, psychosocial, cognitive impairment, sanity, or other mental health evaluations of an individual.

Allows release of evaluations if they become part of a clinical record, subject to the provisions of section 916.107(8).

Subjects the exemption to the Open Government Sunset Review Act and automatically repeals the exemption on October 2, 2018, unless the Legislature reenacts it.

Takes effect upon becoming law and establishes that protecting forensic evaluations is necessary to preserve health care privacy rights and prevent disclosure of sensitive personal health information merely because documents are filed with the court.