FL S0786

All records, data, information, correspondence, and communications related to enrollment in the Special Persons Registry maintained by local law enforcement agencies are made confidential and exempt from Florida public records requirements under s. 119.07(1) and the State Constitution

Confidential registry information may only be disclosed to law enforcement agencies, county emergency management agencies, or local fire departments upon request, or with the enrollee's written consent, in a medical emergency, by court order with good cause, to another government agency, or in the interest of public safety

The public records exemption applies retroactively to information held by law enforcement, county emergency management agencies, or local fire departments before, on, or after the act's effective date

The Legislature justifies the exemption by noting that registry materials likely contain confidential medical and sensitive personal information, and that potential disclosure would deter enrollment, depriving law enforcement of information needed to interact safely and appropriately with registrants

The exemption is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act and will stand repealed on October 2, 2028, unless reenacted by the Legislature; the act's effective date is contingent on the passage of SB 784 or similar legislation in the same session