Florida SB 4: Higher Education

Bill Text

4 
Public Records/Investigations by the Department of Legal Affairs 
2026-04-24T07:28:49Z 
Providing an exemption from public records requirements for information held by the Department of Legal Affairs relating to notifications or investigations of certain companion chatbot violations; providing an exemption from public records requirements for information held by the department relating to notifications or investigations of certain bot-related consumer protection violations; requiring that certain information remain confidential and exempt upon the completion or cessation of an investigation; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026D 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 4-D 

 By Senator Brodeur 

 10-00004-26D 20264D__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to public records; amending s. 
 3 501.9984, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 
 4 records requirements for information held by the 
 5 Department of Legal Affairs relating to notifications 
 6 or investigations of certain companion chatbot 
 7 violations; providing construction; authorizing the 
 8 department to disclose such information during an 
 9 active investigation for specified purposes; requiring 
 10 that certain information remain confidential and 
 11 exempt upon the completion or cessation of an 
 12 investigation; defining the term “proprietary 
 13 information”; providing for future legislative review 
 14 and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of 
 15 public necessity; amending s. 501.9985, F.S.; 
 16 providing an exemption from public records 
 17 requirements for information held by the department 
 18 relating to notifications or investigations of certain 
 19 bot-related consumer protection violations; providing 
 20 construction; authorizing the department to disclose 
 21 such information during an active investigation for 
 22 specified purposes; requiring that certain information 
 23 remain confidential and exempt upon the completion or 
 24 cessation of an investigation; defining the term 
 25 “proprietary information”; providing for future 
 26 legislative review and repeal of the exemption; 
 27 providing a statement of public necessity; amending s. 
 28 501.9986, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 
 29 records requirements for information held by the 
 30 department relating to notifications or investigations 
 31 of certain deidentified data-related consumer 
 32 protection violations; providing construction; 
 33 authorizing the department to disclose such 
 34 information during an active investigation for 
 35 specified purposes; requiring that certain information 
 36 remain confidential and exempt upon the completion or 
 37 cessation of an investigation; defining the term 
 38 “proprietary information”; providing for future 
 39 legislative review and repeal of the exemption; 
 40 providing a statement of public necessity; providing a 
 41 contingent effective date. 
 42 
 43 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 44 
 45 Section 1. Present subsection (8) of section 501.9984, 
 46 Florida Statutes, as created by SB 2-D or similar legislation, 
 47 2026 Special Session D, is redesignated as subsection (9), and a 
 48 new subsection (8) is added to that section, to read: 
 49 501.9984 Companion chatbot use for minors.— 
 50 (8)(a) All information held by the department pursuant to a 
 51 notification of a violation of this section or an investigation 
 52 of a violation of this section is confidential and exempt from 
 53 s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, 
 54 until such time as the investigation is completed or ceases to 
 55 be active. This exemption shall be construed in conformity with 
 56 s. 119.071(2)(c). 
 57 (b) During an active investigation, information made 
 58 confidential and exempt pursuant to paragraph (a) may be 
 59 disclosed by the department: 
 60 1. In the furtherance of its official duties and 
 61 responsibilities; 
 62 2. For print, publication, or broadcast if the department 
 63 determines that such release would assist in notifying the 
 64 public or locating or identifying a person whom the department 
 65 believes to be a victim of an improper use or disposal of 
 66 customer records, except that information made confidential and 
 67 exempt by paragraph (c) may not be released pursuant to this 
 68 subparagraph; or 
 69 3. To another governmental entity in the furtherance of 
 70 such entity’s official duties and responsibilities. 
 71 (c) Upon completion of an investigation or once an 
 72 investigation ceases to be active, the following information 
 73 held by the department shall remain confidential and exempt from 
 74 s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution: 
 75 1. Information that is otherwise confidential or exempt 
 76 from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I o