Florida SB 210: Searches of Cellular Phones and Other Electronic Devices

Bill Text

210 
Public Records/Petitions for Injunctions for Protection Against Serious Violence by a Known Person 
2025-10-16T04:16:38Z 
Providing an exemption from public records requirements for petitions, and the contents thereof, for injunctions for protection against serious violence by a known person; providing an exemption from public records requirements for information that can be used to identify a petitioner or respondent in such a petition for an injunction; providing a statement of public necessity, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 210 

 By Senator Sharief 

 35-00469-26 2026210__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to public records; amending s. 
 3 119.0714, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 
 4 records requirements for petitions, and the contents 
 5 thereof, for injunctions for protection against 
 6 serious violence by a known person; providing an 
 7 exemption from public records requirements for 
 8 information that can be used to identify a petitioner 
 9 or respondent in such a petition for an injunction; 
 10 providing a statement of public necessity; providing a 
 11 contingent effective date. 
 12 
 13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 14 
 15 Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section 
 16 119.0714, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 17 119.0714 Court files; court records; official records.— 
 18 (1) COURT FILES.—Nothing in this chapter shall be construed 
 19 to exempt from s. 119.07(1) a public record that was made a part 
 20 of a court file and that is not specifically closed by order of 
 21 court, except: 
 22 (k)1. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an 
 23 injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat 
 24 violence, dating violence, sexual violence, serious violence by 
 25 a known person, stalking, or cyberstalking which that is 
 26 dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex parte hearing 
 27 due to failure to state a claim or lack of jurisdiction, or 
 28 dismissed for any reason having to do with the sufficiency of 
 29 the petition itself without an injunction being issued on or 
 30 after July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), 
 31 Art. I of the State Constitution. 
 32 2. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an injunction 
 33 for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence, 
 34 dating violence, sexual violence, stalking, or cyberstalking 
 35 which that is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex 
 36 parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of 
 37 jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the 
 38 sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being 
 39 issued before July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 
 40 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution only upon request by an 
 41 individual named in the petition as a respondent. The request 
 42 must be in the form of a signed, legibly written request 
 43 specifying the case name, case number, document heading, and 
 44 page number. The request must be delivered by mail, facsimile, 
 45 or electronic transmission or in person to the clerk of the 
 46 court. A fee may not be charged for such request. 
 47 3. Any information that can be used to identify a 
 48 petitioner or respondent in a petition for an injunction against 
 49 domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual 
 50 violence, serious violence by a known person, stalking, or 
 51 cyberstalking, and any affidavits, notice of hearing, and 
 52 temporary injunction, is confidential and exempt from s. 
 53 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until 
 54 the respondent has been personally served with a copy of the 
 55 petition for injunction, affidavits, notice of hearing, and 
 56 temporary injunction. 
 57 Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 
 58 necessity that a petition, and the contents thereof, for an 
 59 injunction for protection against serious violence by a known 
 60 person which is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex 
 61 parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of 
 62 jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the 
 63 sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being 
 64 issued be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and 
 65 s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The Legislature 
 66 finds that the existence of, and the unverified allegations 
 67 contained in, such a petition may be defamatory to an individual 
 68 named in it and cause unwarranted damage to the reputation of 
 69 such individual. The Legislature further finds that removing 
 70 such a record from public disclosure is the sole means of 
 71 protecting the reputation of such an individual. 
 72 (2) Additionally, the Legislature finds that it is a public 
 73 necessity that any information that can be used to identify a 
 74 peti