SB 600 — Public Records/Meter-derived Data and Billing Information

Florida Senate - 2019 CS for SB 600 By Senatorthe GibsonCommittee 6-00557-19on 2019600__Innovation, AIndustry, billand toTechnology; be entitled An act relating to public records;

and Senators Gibson and Bean 580-02752-19 2019600c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to public records;

providingexempting an exemption from public records requirements for certain utility customer meter-derived data and billing information;information in increments of less than one billing cycle which is held by certain utilities;

providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption;

1. Information related to the security of the technology, processes, or practices of a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government which that are designed to protect the utility’s networks, computers, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized accessaccess, and, which information, if disclosed, would facilitate the alteration, disclosure, or destruction of such data or information technology resources.

3. Customer meter-derived data and billing information in increments of less than one billing cycle.

(b) This(b) This exemption applies to such information held by a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption.

(c) This(c) This subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

Section 2. The2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity that customer meter-derived data and billing information in increments of less than one billing cycle held by a utility that is owned or operated by a unit of local government be made exempt from s.

Safeguarding(2) The customers’Legislature meter-derivedfinds that safeguarding customer meter derived data and billing information in increments of less than one billing cycle is of the utmost importanceimportance. because smart meters can record and transmit detailed utility customer use data in real time, presenting unique privacy concerns.

SuchSmart devicesmeters, which can revealrecord when and fortransmit howdetailed longdata individualson staya atcustomer’s home,use the types of devicesutility anservices, individualpresent uses,unique andsecurity howconcerns. they move about inside their own homes.

ThisThese exemptionconcerns iswere necessaryaddressed becausein a report released in October 2010 by the publicUnited disclosureStates Department of suchEnergy informationtitled constitutes“Data anAccess unwarrantedand intrusionPrivacy intoIssues anRelated individual’sto personalSmart lifeGrid andTechnologies.” anThe invasionreport ofrecommended histhat orcustomer herdata privacy.be protected from release to third parties.

TheThis harmdetailed fromcustomer disclosingdata suchcan informationbe outweighsused anyto publicspecifically benefitidentify thatminute-by-minute canusage bepatterns, derivedincluding fromthe widespreadexact andappliance unregulatedor publicservice accessbeing toused. such information.

ForThis theseinformation reasons,creates thesignificant Legislaturesecurity findsissues thatfor itboth isbusinesses aand publichomeowners. necessity to make such information exempt from public records requirements.