Florida SB 770: Property Assessed Clean Energy Program

Bill Text

770 
Public Records 
2025-12-05T06:19:09Z 
Providing that it is a violation of specified provisions to fail to acknowledge a public records request promptly and in good faith; requiring custodians of public records to perform specified actions within a specified timeframe; prohibiting agencies from charging for specified public records requests; providing that violations of any law providing access to public records are violations of specified provisions; requiring that certain provisions authorizing a public records exemption be repealed after a specified timeframe unless the Legislature reenacts the exemption, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 770 

 By Senator Rouson 

 16-01141A-26 2026770__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to public records; amending s. 
 3 119.011, F.S.; revising the definition of the term 
 4 “actual cost of duplication”; amending s. 119.07, 
 5 F.S.; providing that it is a violation of specified 
 6 provisions to fail to acknowledge a public records 
 7 request promptly and in good faith; requiring 
 8 custodians of public records to perform specified 
 9 actions within a specified timeframe; prohibiting an 
 10 agency from imposing costs or fees if the custodian of 
 11 public records fails to take such actions within the 
 12 required timeframe; requiring custodians of public 
 13 records to state in writing certain justifications and 
 14 citations; prohibiting an agency from asserting that a 
 15 record was exempt or confidential and exempt under 
 16 specified circumstances; providing that an agency may 
 17 not assert certain justifications under specified 
 18 circumstances; deleting provisions authorizing a fee 
 19 for accessing a public record electronically under a 
 20 contractual agreement; prohibiting agencies from 
 21 charging for specified public records requests; 
 22 defining the term “any electronic medium stored, 
 23 maintained, or used by an agency”; requiring agencies 
 24 to provide requested public records in specified 
 25 formats; authorizing agencies to charge a fee for such 
 26 provision; providing for the reduction or waiver of 
 27 fees under specified conditions; requiring that such 
 28 reductions and waivers be applied uniformly; 
 29 prohibiting an agency from charging for a certain 
 30 timeframe under specified conditions; requiring that a 
 31 written, detailed cost estimate be provided upon 
 32 request to persons seeking to inspect or copy a public 
 33 record; providing that an agency is not authorized to 
 34 charge fees for redaction of certain records; 
 35 requiring an agency subject to ch. 119, F.S., to 
 36 provide an electronic option for payment of fees 
 37 associated with a public records request; amending s. 
 38 119.10, F.S.; providing that violations of any law 
 39 providing access to public records are violations of 
 40 specified provisions; providing a civil penalty for 
 41 persons who violate provisions related to accessing 
 42 public records; providing criminal penalties for 
 43 persons outside this state who knowingly violate 
 44 specified provisions; requiring courts to assess 
 45 specified penalties if the court makes certain 
 46 determinations; amending s. 119.12, F.S.; requiring 
 47 that the court assess against agencies certain costs 
 48 and fees and award such costs and fees to the 
 49 complainant; requiring that certain fees be assessed 
 50 against an agency under certain conditions; 
 51 authorizing agency reimbursement of attorney fees and 
 52 costs under specified conditions; amending s. 119.15, 
 53 F.S.; requiring that certain provisions authorizing a 
 54 public records exemption be repealed after a specified 
 55 timeframe unless the Legislature reenacts the 
 56 exemption; amending s. 921.0022, F.S.; conforming 
 57 provisions to changes made by the act; providing an 
 58 effective date. 
 59 
 60 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 61 
 62 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 119.011, Florida 
 63 Statutes, is amended to read: 
 64 119.011 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term: 
 65 (1) “Actual cost of duplication” means the cost of the 
 66 material and supplies used to duplicate the public record, but 
 67 does not include labor cost or overhead cost associated with 
 68 such duplication. The term includes the cost of agency 
 69 resources, including the cost of clerical and supervisory 
 70 assistance and costs incurred for the use of agency information 
 71 technology associated with such duplication which are incurred 
 72 by the agency in complying with a request for public records. 
 73 The cost of clerical or supervisory assistance may not be 
 74 greater than the base hourly rate of the lowest paid personnel 
 75 capable of providing such clerical or supervisory assistance. 
 76 The term does not include overhead costs associated with 
 77 duplication of a public re