FL H1379

Creates section 394.464, Florida Statutes, making petitions for voluntary and involuntary mental health admission, court orders, and related records confidential and exempt from public records requirements under Florida law and the State Constitution.

Authorizes disclosure of confidential records to specified persons including the petitioner, respondent, their attorneys, guardians, treating health care practitioners, and state agencies (Department of Children and Families and Department of Corrections without charge).

Allows disclosure to other persons or entities only upon court order for good cause, requiring the court to weigh the person's need for information against potential harm to the respondent from disclosure.

Prohibits clerks of court from publishing personal identifying information of mental health treatment seekers on court dockets or in publicly accessible files, and requires recipients of such information to maintain it as confidential.

Applies retroactively to all documents filed before, on, or after July 1, 2018, and is subject to repeal on October 2, 2023, under the Open Government Sunset Review Act unless reenacted by the Legislature; takes effect upon enactment of HB 1377 or similar legislation.