H 15

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  HB 15  2026
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to public records and meetings;
3creating s. 491.023, F.S.; providing an exemption from
4public records requirements for certain information
5held by the Department of Health or the Board of
6Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and
7Mental Health Counseling pursuant to the Social Work
8Licensure Interstate Compact; authorizing the
9disclosure of such information under certain
10circumstances; providing an exemption from public
11meetings requirements for certain meetings or portions
12of certain meetings of the Social Work Licensure
13Compact Commission or its executive committee or other
14committees; providing an exemption from public records
15requirements for recordings, minutes, and records
16generated during the exempt meetings or portions of
17such meetings; providing for future legislative review
18and repeal of the exemptions; providing statements of
19public necessity; providing a contingent effective
20date.
21
22Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24Section 1.  Section 491.023, Florida Statutes, is created
25to read:
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26491.023       Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; public
27    records and meetings exemptions.—
28(1)     A social worker's personal identifying information,
29    other than the social worker's name, licensure status, or
30    licensure number, obtained from the data system, as described in
31    Art. XI of s. 491.022, and held by the department or the board
32    is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
33    Constitution unless the state that originally reported the
34    information to the data system authorizes the disclosure of such
35    information by law. If disclosure is so authorized, such
36    information may be disclosed only to the extent authorized by
37    the law of the reporting state.
38(2)(a)       A meeting or a portion of a meeting of the Social
39    Work Licensure Compact Commission or the executive committee or
40    other committee of the commission, established in Article X of
41    s. 491.022, at which matters specifically exempted from
42    disclosure by federal or state law is exempt from s. 286.011 and
43    s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution.
44(b)     Recordings, minutes, and records generated during an
45    exempt meeting or portion of such a meeting are exempt from s.
46    119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
47(3)     This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset
48    Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed
49    on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal
50    through reenactment by the Legislature.
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51Section 2.  (1)     The Legislature finds that it is a public
52    necessity that a social worker's personal identifying
53    information, other than the social worker's name, licensure
54    status, or licensure number, obtained from the data system, as
55    described in Article XI of s. 491.022, Florida Statutes, and
56    held by the Department of Health or the Board of Clinical Social
57    Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling
58    be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s.
59    24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Protection of such
60    information is required under the Social Work Licensure
61    Interstate Compact, which a state must adopt in order to become
62    a member state of the compact. Without the public records
63    exemption, this state will be unable to effectively implement
64    and administer the compact.
65(2)(a)       The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity
66    that any meeting of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission
67    or the executive committee or other committee of the commission
68    held as provided in s. 491.022, Florida Statutes, in which
69    matters specifically exempted from disclosure by federal or
70    state law are discussed be made exempt from s. 286.011, Florida
71    Statutes, and s. 24(b), Article I of the State Constitution.
72(b)     The Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact requires
73    the closure of any meeting, or any portion of a meeting, of the
74    Social Work Licensure Compact Commission or the executive
75    committee or other committee of the commission if the presiding
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76    officer announces in a public meeting that, in connection with
77    the performance of the commission's duties, the commission must
78    discuss certain sensitive and confidential subject matters. In
79    the absence of a public meetings exemption, this state would be
80    prohibited from becoming a member state of the compact.
81(3)     The Legislature also finds that it is a public
82    necessity that the recordings, minutes, and records generated
83    during a meeting held as provided in s. 491.022, Florida
84    Statutes, that is exempt from public meetings requirements be
85    made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a),
86    Article I of the State Constitution. Release of such information
87    would negate the public meetings exemption. As such, the
88    Legislature finds that the public records exemption is a public
89    necessity.
90Section 3.  This act shall take effect on the same date
91    that HB 13 or similar legislation takes effect, if such
92    legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an
93    extension thereof and becomes a law.
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