Amendment
Introduced on 11/14/25
This bill amends Florida's public records law to create new exemptions for body camera recordings made by code inspectors in certain private settings. The legislation aims to balance privacy interests with government transparency by shielding sensitive recordings from public disclosure while still allowing limited access for directly affected individuals. The bill establishes retention requirements for these recordings and subjects the new exemptions to future legislative review under Florida's Open Government Sunset Review Act.
The bill amends section 119.0713 of the Florida Statutes to exempt body camera recordings made by code inspectors from public records requirements in specific circumstances. These exemptions apply to recordings taken within private residences, health care facilities, mental health facilities, social services facilities, and other locations where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. The legislation defines key terms including 'body camera', 'code inspector', and 'personal representative'. It allows for limited disclosure of exempt recordings to recorded individuals, their personal representatives, and residents of recorded locations. The bill mandates that local governments retain these recordings for at least 90 days and applies the exemptions retroactively to existing recordings.
Local governments are primarily responsible for implementing the new public records exemptions and retention requirements. The Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State is tasked with incorporating the 90-day minimum retention requirement into its records retention schedules by October 1, 2026. The bill does not specify additional funding mechanisms or create new enforcement provisions beyond existing public records law. Compliance will likely be monitored through existing channels for public records requests and complaints.
The primary beneficiaries of this legislation are individuals whose privacy may be protected by exempting certain body camera recordings from public disclosure. Code inspectors may also benefit from reduced public scrutiny of their activities in private settings. Local governments will face an increased administrative burden in managing these exemptions and retention requirements. The bill includes a sunset provision, repealing the exemptions on October 2, 2036, unless reenacted by the legislature. While no specific cost estimates are provided, local governments may incur expenses related to data storage and management of exempt recordings.
This bill operates within Florida's existing public records law framework, creating specific exemptions as allowed under Article I, Section 24(c) of the Florida Constitution. It amends section 119.0713 of the Florida Statutes and references the definition of 'code inspector' from section 162.04(2). The legislation explicitly states that it does not supersede any other public records exemptions. As with other public records exemptions, these provisions would be subject to judicial review and interpretation. The bill does not appear to preempt local laws, but rather imposes statewide standards for these specific exemptions.
A key implementation challenge will be defining and applying the 'reasonable expectation of privacy' standard for locations beyond those explicitly listed in the bill. This may lead to inconsistent application across different local governments and potential legal challenges. The retroactive application of the exemptions could raise concerns about the proper handling of existing recordings. There may be opposition from transparency advocates who argue that the exemptions are overly broad and could shield potential misconduct by code inspectors from public scrutiny. Additionally, local governments may face technical and financial challenges in implementing the retention requirements and managing requests for limited disclosure of exempt recordings.
Senate Community Affairs
8 Yea
DNRRRDRR0 Nay
| Jan 13 at 1:30 PM | 37 Senate Building | Senate Community Affairs Hearing |
| Jan 21 at 1:30 PM | 37 Senate Building | Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Hearing |