Florida SB 1754: Public Records and Meetings/Drug Overdose Death Review Committee/Suicide Death Review Committee

Bill Text

1754 
Public Records and Meetings/Drug Overdose Death Review Committee/Suicide Death Review Committee 
2026-01-09T12:58:54Z 
Creating an exemption from public records requirements for certain records and information held by the Drug Overdose Death Review Committee and the Suicide Death Review Committee, respectively, or a local review committee established thereunder; creating an exemption from public meetings requirements for portions of meetings of the committees which would reveal confidential and exempt information; providing for future legislative review and repeal; providing statements of public necessity, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1754 

 By Senator DiCeglie 

 18-01737B-26 20261754__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to public records and meetings; 
 3 amending ss. 394.47893 and 394.47894, F.S.; creating 
 4 an exemption from public records requirements for 
 5 certain records and information held by the Drug 
 6 Overdose Death Review Committee and the Suicide Death 
 7 Review Committee, respectively, or a local review 
 8 committee established thereunder; authorizing the 
 9 disclosure of such records and information under 
 10 certain circumstances; creating an exemption from 
 11 public meetings requirements for portions of meetings 
 12 of the committees which would reveal confidential and 
 13 exempt information; requiring the recording of exempt 
 14 portions of such meetings; requiring the committees to 
 15 maintain such recordings; providing criminal 
 16 penalties; providing for future legislative review and 
 17 repeal; providing statements of public necessity; 
 18 providing a contingent effective date. 
 19 
 20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 21 
 22 Section 1. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (5) of 
 23 section 394.47893, Florida Statutes, as created by SB ____, 2026 
 24 Regular Session, to read: 
 25 394.47893 Drug overdose review; Drug Overdose Death Review 
 26 Committee; local review committees.— 
 27 (5) ACCESS TO AND USE OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION.— 
 28 (h)1. Any record or information held by the Drug Overdose 
 29 Death Review Committee or a local review committee which reveals 
 30 the identity of a decedent whose death occurred as a result of 
 31 drug overdose, or which reveals the identity of the family 
 32 member of such decedent, is confidential and exempt from s. 
 33 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. The 
 34 Drug Overdose Death Review Committee or a local review committee 
 35 may share records and information made confidential and exempt 
 36 by this section with all of the following: 
 37 a. Each other. 
 38 b. A governmental agency in furtherance of its duties. 
 39 c. Any person or entity authorized by the Department of 
 40 Health to use such relevant records or information for bona fide 
 41 research or statistical purposes. A person or an entity that is 
 42 authorized to use such relevant records or information for 
 43 research or statistical purposes must enter into a privacy and 
 44 security agreement with the Department of Health and comply with 
 45 all laws and rules governing the usage of such records and 
 46 information for research or statistical purposes. Anything 
 47 identifying the subjects of such relevant records or information 
 48 must be treated as confidential by the person or entity and may 
 49 not be released in any form. 
 50 2. Portions of meetings held by the Drug Overdose Death 
 51 Review Committee or a local review committee at which any record 
 52 or information made confidential and exempt under subparagraph 
 53 1. is discussed are exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I 
 54 of the State Constitution. The closed portion of a meeting must 
 55 be recorded, and no portion of the closed meeting may be off the 
 56 record. The recording must be maintained by the Drug Overdose 
 57 Death Review Committee or by a local review committee, as 
 58 applicable. 
 59 3. A person who knowingly or willfully makes public or 
 60 discloses to any unauthorized person any record or information 
 61 held by the Drug Overdose Death Review Committee or a local 
 62 review committee which is confidential and exempt under this 
 63 paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable 
 64 as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. 
 65 4. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset 
 66 Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 
 67 on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal 
 68 through reenactment by the Legislature. 
 69 Section 2. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (5) of 
 70 section 394.47894, Florida Statutes, as created by SB ____, 2026 
 71 Regular Session, to read: 
 72 394.47894 Suicide review; Suicide Death Review Committee; 
 73 local review committees.— 
 74 (5) ACCESS TO AND USE OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION.— 
 75 (h)1. Any record or informa