Florida SB 744: Public Records Requests Made to Law Enforcement Officers

Bill Text

744 
Public Records Requests Made to Law Enforcement Officers 
2025-12-03T10:19:45Z 
Prohibiting law enforcement officers from accepting and processing public records requests while engaged in certain activities; providing that a law enforcement officer makes a certain determination; requiring that a law enforcement officer verbally inform an individual of certain information; providing criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly and willfully persist in attempting to compel a law enforcement officer to accept and process a public records request under certain circumstances, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 744 

 By Senator Yarborough 

 4-00824-26 2026744__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to public records requests made to law 
 3 enforcement officers; creating s. 119.101, F.S.; 
 4 defining terms; prohibiting law enforcement officers 
 5 from accepting and processing public records requests 
 6 while engaged in certain activities; providing that a 
 7 law enforcement officer makes a certain determination; 
 8 requiring that a law enforcement officer verbally 
 9 inform an individual of certain information; providing 
 10 criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly and 
 11 willfully persist in attempting to compel a law 
 12 enforcement officer to accept and process a public 
 13 records request under certain circumstances; providing 
 14 applicability; providing an effective date. 
 15 
 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 17 
 18 Section 1. Section 119.101, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 19 read: 
 20 119.101 Requests for public records made to law enforcement 
 21 officers.— 
 22 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 23 (a) “Employing agency” has the same meaning as in s. 
 24 943.10. 
 25 (b) “Law enforcement officer” has the same meaning as in s. 
 26 943.10. 
 27 (2) A law enforcement officer who is actively engaged in 
 28 the performance of an official duty, including, but not limited 
 29 to, a call for service, an investigation, a case-related 
 30 activity, or other official police activity, may not accept and 
 31 process a public records request at such time. 
 32 (a) For the purposes of this section, the determination of 
 33 whether such officer is engaged in the performance of an 
 34 official duty is made by the officer. 
 35 (b) Upon the determination that the officer is engaged in 
 36 the performance of an official duty, the officer must verbally 
 37 inform the individual requesting public records that he or she 
 38 cannot accept and process the public records request at that 
 39 time and direct the individual to: 
 40 1. The custodian of records for the officer’s employing 
 41 agency; or 
 42 2. An official public records request online portal, if 
 43 available. 
 44 (c) An individual who, after being informed pursuant to 
 45 paragraph (b), knowingly and willfully persists in attempting to 
 46 compel a law enforcement officer to accept and process a public 
 47 records request while such officer is engaged in the performance 
 48 of an official duty commits the offense of obstruction of a law 
 49 enforcement officer, in violation of s. 843.02. 
 50 (3) This section does not apply to a law enforcement 
 51 officer performing his or her official duties at an official 
 52 location of the employing agency. 
 53 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.