SB 1298 — Public Records/Public Employees Relations Commission

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

c.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former nonsworn investigative personnel of the Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of Financial Investigations whose duties include the investigation of fraud, theft, other related criminal activities, or state regulatory requirement violations;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

Page 3 of 23 CODING:

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ d.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former firefighters certified in compliance with s.

633.408;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such firefighters;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such firefighters are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

e.

The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone numbers of current or former justices of the Supreme Court, district court of appeal judges, circuit court judges, and county court judges and current judicial assistants;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current or former justices and judges and current judicial assistants;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of current or former justices and judges and of current judicial assistants are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

f.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current or former state attorneys, Page 4 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of current or former state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, statewide prosecutors, or assistant statewide prosecutors are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

g.

The home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone numbers of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers, and the chair, commissioners, and hearing officers of the Public Employees Relations Commission;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers, and the chair, commissioners, and hearing officers of the Public Employees Relations Commission;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of general magistrates, special magistrates, judges of compensation claims, administrative law judges of the Division of Administrative Hearings, and child support enforcement hearing officers, and the chair, commissioners, and hearing officers of the Public Employees Relations Commission are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

h.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former human resource, labor relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors, Page 5 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency or water management district whose duties include hiring and firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or other personnel-related duties;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

i.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former code enforcement officers;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

j.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former guardians ad litem, as defined in s.

39.01;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such persons;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such persons are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

k.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former juvenile probation officers, juvenile probation supervisors, detention superintendents, assistant detention superintendents, juvenile Page 6 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ justice detention officers I and II, juvenile justice detention officer supervisors, juvenile justice residential officers, juvenile justice residential officer supervisors I and II, juvenile justice counselors, juvenile justice counselor supervisors, human services counselor administrators, senior human services counselor administrators, rehabilitation therapists, and social services counselors of the Department of Juvenile Justice;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

l.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of current or former public defenders, assistant public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and assistant criminal conflict and civil regional counsel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

m.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former investigators or inspectors Page 7 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such current or former investigators and inspectors;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such current or former investigators and inspectors are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

n.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of birth of county tax collectors;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such tax collectors;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such tax collectors are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

o.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former personnel of the Department of Health whose duties include, or result in, the determination or adjudication of eligibility for social security disability benefits, the investigation or prosecution of complaints filed against health care practitioners, or the inspection of health care practitioners or health care facilities licensed by the Department of Health;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

p.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, Page 8 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ and photographs of current or former impaired practitioner consultants who are retained by an agency or current or former employees of an impaired practitioner consultant whose duties result in a determination of a person’s skill and safety to practice a licensed profession;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such consultants or their employees;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such consultants or employees are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

q.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former emergency medical technicians or paramedics certified under chapter 401;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such emergency medical technicians or paramedics are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

r.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former personnel employed in an agency’s office of inspector general or internal audit department whose duties include auditing or investigating waste, fraud, abuse, theft, exploitation, or other activities that could lead to criminal prosecution or administrative discipline;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of spouses and children of such Page 9 of 23 CODING:

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

s.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former directors, managers, supervisors, nurses, and clinical employees of an addiction treatment facility;

the home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

For purposes of this sub-subparagraph, the term “addiction treatment facility” means a county government, or agency thereof, that is licensed pursuant to s.

397.401 and provides substance abuse prevention, intervention, or clinical treatment, including any licensed service component described in s.

397.311(27).

t.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former directors, managers, supervisors, and clinical employees of a child advocacy center that meets the standards of s.

39.3035(2) and fulfills the screening requirement of s.

39.3035(3), and the members of a Child Protection Team as described in s.

39.303 whose duties include supporting the investigation of child abuse or sexual abuse, child abandonment, child neglect, and child exploitation or to provide services as part of a multidisciplinary case review team;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the Page 10 of 23 CODING:

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Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ spouses and children of such personnel and members;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel and members are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

u.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former staff and domestic violence advocates, as defined in s.

90.5036(1)(b), of domestic violence centers certified by the Department of Children and Families under chapter 39;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, dates of birth, and photographs of the spouses and children of such personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

v.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former inspectors or investigators of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current or former inspectors or investigators;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of current or former inspectors or investigators are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

w.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, Page 11 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ and photographs of current county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of current county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, deputy county attorneys, city attorneys, assistant city attorneys, and deputy city attorneys are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

This exemption does not apply to a county attorney, assistant county attorney, deputy county attorney, city attorney, assistant city attorney, or deputy city attorney who qualifies as a candidate for election to public office.

This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

x.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current or former commissioners of the Florida Gaming Control Commission;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, photographs, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such current or former commissioners;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of such current or former commissioners are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

This sub-subparagraph is Page 12 of 23 CODING:

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

y.

The home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel;

the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel;

and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the children of current clerks of the circuit court, deputy clerks of the circuit court, and clerk of the circuit court personnel are exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2029, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

z.(I) As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term:

(A) “Congressional member” means a person who is elected to serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives or is elected or appointed to serve as a member of the United States Senate.

(B) “Partial home address” means the dwelling location at which an individual resides and includes the physical address, mailing address, street address, parcel identification number, plot identification number, legal property description, neighborhood name and lot number, GPS coordinates, and any other Page 13 of 23 CODING:

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Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ descriptive property information that may reveal the partial home address, except for the city and zip code.

(C) “Public officer” means a person who holds one of the following offices:

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, state representative, state senator, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, school superintendent, school board member, mayor, city commissioner, or county commissioner.

(II) The following information is exempt from s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution:

(A) The partial home addresses of a current congressional member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.

(B) The telephone numbers of a current congressional member or public officer and his or her spouse or adult child.

(C) The name, home addresses, telephone numbers, and date of birth of a minor child of a current congressional member or public officer and the name and location of the school or day care facility attended by the minor child.

(III) This sub-subparagraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2030, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

3.a.

An agency that is the custodian of the information specified in subparagraph 2.

and that is not the employer of the officer, employee, justice, judge, or other person specified in subparagraph 2.

must maintain the exempt status of that information only if the officer, employee, justice, judge, other person, or employing agency of the designated employee submits a written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption Page 14 of 23 CODING:

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Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ to the custodial agency.

The request must state under oath the statutory basis for the individual’s exemption request and confirm the individual’s status as a party eligible for exempt status.

b.

An agency that is the custodian of information specified in sub-subparagraph 2.z.

and that is not the employer of the congressional member, public officer, or other person specified in sub-subparagraph 2.z.

must maintain the exempt status of that information only if an individual requests the maintenance of an exemption pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z.

on the basis of eligibility as a current congressional member or public officer and his or her spouse or child submits, as part of the written and notarized request required by sub-subparagraph a., the date of the congressional member’s or public officer’s election or appointment to public office, the date on which that office is next subject to election, and, if applicable, the date on which the current congressional member’s or public officer’s minor child reaches the age of majority.

The custodian must maintain an exemption granted pursuant to sub-subparagraph 2.z.

until the qualifying conditions for the exemption no longer apply to the person subject to the exemption.

4.a.

A county property appraiser, as defined in s.

192.001(3), or a county tax collector, as defined in s.

192.001(4), who receives a written and notarized request for maintenance of the exemption pursuant to subparagraph 3.

must comply by removing the name of the individual with exempt status and the instrument number or Official Records book and page number identifying the property with the exempt status from all publicly available records maintained by the property appraiser Page 15 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ or tax collector.

For written requests received on or before July 1, 2021, a county property appraiser or county tax collector must comply with this sub-subparagraph by October 1, 2021.

A county property appraiser or county tax collector may not remove the street address, legal description, or other information identifying real property within the agency’s records so long as a name or personal information otherwise exempt from inspection and copying pursuant to this section is not associated with the property or otherwise displayed in the public records of the agency.

b.

Any information restricted from public display, inspection, or copying under sub-subparagraph a.

must be provided to the individual whose information was removed.

5.

An officer, an employee, a justice, a judge, or other person specified in subparagraph 2.

may submit a written request for the release of his or her exempt information to the custodial agency.

The written request must be notarized and must specify the information to be released and the party authorized to receive the information.

Upon receipt of the written request, the custodial agency must release the specified information to the party authorized to receive such information.

6.

The exemptions in this paragraph apply to information held by an agency before, on, or after the effective date of the exemption.

7.

Information made exempt under this paragraph may be disclosed pursuant to s.

28.2221 to a title insurer authorized pursuant to s.

624.401 and its affiliates as defined in s.

624.10;

a title insurance agent or title insurance agency as defined in s.

626.841(1) or (2), respectively;

or an attorney Page 16 of 23 CODING:

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing with The Florida Bar.

8.

The exempt status of a home address contained in the Official Records is maintained only during the period when a protected party resides at the dwelling location.

Upon conveyance of real property after October 1, 2021, and when such real property no longer constitutes a protected party’s home address as defined in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the protected party must submit a written request to release the removed information to the county recorder.

The written request to release the removed information must be notarized, must confirm that a protected party’s request for release is pursuant to a conveyance of his or her dwelling location, and must specify the Official Records book and page, instrument number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the information to be released.

9.

Upon the death of a protected party as verified by a certified copy of a death certificate or court order, any party can request the county recorder to release a protected decedent’s removed information unless there is a related request on file with the county recorder for continued removal of the decedent’s information or unless such removal is otherwise prohibited by statute or by court order.

The written request to release the removed information upon the death of a protected party must attach the certified copy of a death certificate or court order and must be notarized, must confirm the request for release is due to the death of a protected party, and must specify the Official Records book and page number, instrument number, or clerk’s file number for each document containing the Page 17 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ information to be released.

A fee may not be charged for the release of any document pursuant to such request.

Section 2.

The amendment made by this act to s.

119.071(4)(d)2.g., Florida Statutes, is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15, Florida Statutes, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

If the expansion of the exemption is not saved from repeal, the text of that sub-subparagraph shall revert to that in existence on June 30, 2026, except that any amendments to such text enacted other than by this act shall be preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such amendments are not dependent upon the amendment to the text which expires pursuant to this section.

Section 3.

Subsection (10) of section 447.205, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

447.205 Public Employees Relations Commission.— (10) The deliberations of the commission in any proceeding before it are closed and exempt from the provisions of s.

286.011.

However, any hearing held or oral argument heard by the commission pursuant to this chapter or chapter 120 is or this chapter shall be open to the public.

All draft orders and related written communications that are developed in preparation for, or preliminary to, the issuance of any order by the commission or its designees a final written order are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s.

119.07(1) and s.

24(a), Art.

I of the State Constitution.

Section 4.

The amendment made by this act to s.

447.205(10), Florida Statutes, is subject to the Open Government Page 18 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ Sunset Review Act in accordance with s.

119.15, Florida Statutes, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

If the expansion of the exemption is not saved from repeal, the text of that subsection shall revert to that in existence on June 30, 2026, except that any amendments to such text enacted other than by this act shall be preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such amendments are not dependent upon the amendment to the text which expires pursuant to this section.

Section 5.

24(a), Article I of the State Constitution, except that any employee, employer, or employee organization having sufficient reason to believe any of the employee signatures were obtained by collusion, coercion, intimidation, or misrepresentation or are Page 191 of 233 CODING:

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1298 33-01484-26585-02790-26 20261298__20261298c1 Article I of the State Constitution, except that any employee, employer, or employee organization having sufficient reason to believe any of the employee signatures were obtained by collusion, coercion, intimidation, or misrepresentation or are otherwise invalid shall be given a reasonable opportunity to verify and challenge the signatures appearing on the petition.

Section 6.2.

If the expansion of the exemption is not saved from repeal, the text of that subsection shallmust revert to that in existence on June 30, 2026, except that any amendmentsamendment to such text enacted other than by this act shallmust be preserved and continue to operate to the extentPage that2 suchof amendments3 areCODING: not dependent upon the amendment to the text which expires pursuant to this section.

Section 7.

(1) The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity that the home addresses, dates of birth, and telephone Page 20 of 23 CODING:

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1298 33-01484-26585-02790-26 20261298__20261298c1 numbersextent ofthat thesuch chair,amendments commissioners,are andnot hearingdependent officersupon ofthe amendment to the Publictext Employeeswhich Relationsexpires Commission;pursuant to this section.

theSection names,3. home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children of such personnel;

andThe theLegislature namesfinds andthat locationsit ofis schoolsa andpublic daynecessity carethat facilitiesthe attendedshowing of interest statements signed by thepublic childrenemployees ofindicating suchtheir personneldesire to no longer be represented by their bargaining agent be made confidential and exempt from s.

SuchThe personnelshowing andof theirinterest familiesstatements aresigned atby apublic heightenedemployees riskindicating oftheir physicaldesire andto emotionalbe harmrepresented fromby disgruntleda individualsbargaining whoagent haveare contentiousalready reactionsconfidential toand actionsexempt takenpursuant byto thes. commission.

In addition, such personnel may be subject to threats or acts of revenge because of the duties they perform.

The spouses and children of such personnel are also endangered by individuals who seek to intimidate or harm such personnel.

The Legislature finds that the harm that may result from the release of such personal identifying and location information outweighs any public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of the information.

(2) The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity that draft orders and related written communications that are developed in preparation for, or preliminary to, the issuance of any order by the Public Employees Relations Commission or its designees be made confidential and exempt from s.

119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s.

24(a), Article I of the State Constitution.

The Public Employees Relations Commission, as a quasi-judicial agency, speaks through its written orders based on the law and facts.

The commission and its hearing officers rely on the confidentiality of draft orders and written communications related to these drafts before they become final Page 21 of 23 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ and are released to the public.

The existing provision in s.

447.205(10), Florida Statutes, addresses this confidentiality and recognizes its importance to the proper functioning of the commission.

However, it was adopted in 1977, with the only substantive amendment being made in 1991.

To avoid the existing provision from being inadvertently read so as to allow public access to draft orders or commission deliberations, including preliminary work prepared by commission hearing officers, the Legislature finds that it is a public necessity that the language of the provision providing for confidentiality and exemption of commission deliberations and draft orders be clarified to reflect updates in technology, current practices of the commission related to the use of hearing officers, and modern methods of communication.

The confidentiality and exemption of commission deliberations and draft orders are essential to the operation of the commission.

Likewise, the confidentiality and exemption of written communications related to draft orders are essential to the operation of the commission given updates in technology, commission practice of using hearing officers as designees to prepare draft orders and assist in preparing final orders, and modern methods of communication.

The Legislature further finds that the harm that may result from the release of written communications related to draft orders, in light of current technology, practices, and methods of communication, outweighs any public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of such written communications.

(3) The Legislature further finds that it is a public necessity that the showing of interest statements signed by public employees indicating their desire to no longer be Page 22 of 23 CODING:

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words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1298 33-01484-26 20261298__ represented by their bargaining agent be made confidential and exempt from s.

119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s.

24(a), Article I of the State Constitution.

The showing of interest statements signed by public employees indicating their desire to be represented by a bargaining agent is already confidential and exempt pursuant to s.

Section 8.4.

This act shall take effect Julyupon 1,becoming 2026.a law.

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