Florida HB 939: Florida Scholars Academy

Bill Text

HB 939 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb939-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public records; amending s. 2
119.0712, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 3
records requirements for certain e-mail addresses 4
collected by the Department of Highway Safety and 5
Motor Vehicles; providing for retroactive application 6
of the exemption; providing for future legislative 7
review and repeal of the exemption; providing a 8
statement of public necessity; providing a contingent 9
effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 14
119.0712, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 15
119.0712 Executive branch agency-specific exemptions from 16
inspection or copying of public records.— 17
(2) DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES.— 18
(c) E-mail addresses collected by the Department of 19
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles pursuant to s. 319.40(3), s. 20
320.95(2), or s. 322.08(10), or s. 328.30(3) are exempt from s. 21
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This 22
exemption applies retroactively. This paragraph is subject to 23
the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 24
119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless 25

HB 939 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the 26
Legislature. 27
Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public 28
necessity that e-mail addresses collected by the Department of 29
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for the use of e-mail in lieu 30
of the United States Postal Service as a method of notification 31
be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 32
24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Sections 319.40(3), 33
320.95(2), and 322.08(10), Florida Statutes, authorize the 34
department to collect e-mail addresses and use e-mail in lieu of 35
the United States Postal Service to provide title certification 36
notification and renewal notices related to motor vehicle 37
license plates, driver licenses, and identification cards. The 38
department is also authorized to collect e-mail addresses and 39
use e-mail in lieu of the United States Postal Service to 40
provide renewal notices related to vessel registrations under s. 41
328.30(3), Florida Statutes. HB 937 expands the circumstances in 42
which e-mail addresses may be used in lieu of the United States 43
Postal Service by authorizing e-mail to be used as a method of 44
notification for various notices and orders issued by the 45
department in addition to renewal notices, including, but not 46
limited to, notices related to driver licenses, identification 47
cards, motor vehicle registrations, motor vehicle title 48
certificates, vessel registrations, and orders to revoke, 49
cancel, or suspend driver licenses. The department's use of e-50

HB 939 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb939-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

mail as a method for corresponding with customers has steadily 51
increased in recent years. An e-mail address is unique to each 52
individual and, when combined with other personal identifying 53
information, may be used for identity theft, consumer scams, 54
unwanted solicitations, or other invasive contact. The public 55
availability of personal e-mail addresses puts the department's 56
customers at increased risk of these problems. Such risk may be 57
significantly limited by making such e-mail addresses exempt. 58
The Legislature finds that such risk outweighs this state's 59
public policy favoring open government. 60
Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date 61
that HB 937 or similar legislation takes effect, if such 62
legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an 63
extension thereof and becomes a law. 64