Florida HB 1237: Nursing Home Accountability

Bill Text

HB 1237 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1237-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public records and meetings; 2
creating s. 468.3711, F.S.; providing an exemption 3
from public records requirements for a respiratory 4
therapist's personal identifying information; 5
providing an exemption from public meetings 6
requirements for certain portions of meetings of the 7
Respiratory Care Interstate Compact Commission; 8
providing an exemption from public records 9
requirements for recordings, minutes, and records 10
generated during exempt portions of such meetings; 11
providing for future legislative review and repeal of 12
the exemptions; providing a statement of public 13
necessity; providing a contingent effective date. 14
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
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Section 1. Section 468.3711, Florida Statutes, is created 18
to read: 19
468.3711 Respiratory Care Interstate Compact Commission; 20
public meetings and public records exemptions.— 21
(1) A respiratory therapist's personal identifying 22
information, other than his or her name, licensure status, or 23
licensure number, obtained from the data system described in 24
Article VIII of s. 468.371 and held by the department or the 25

HB 1237 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1237-00
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board is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the 26
State Constitution unless the state that originally reported the 27
information to the data system authorizes the disclosure of such 28
information by law. If disclosure is so authorized, such 29
information may be disclosed only to the extent authorized by 30
the law of the reporting state. 31
(2)(a) Any meeting or a portion of a meeting of the 32
Respiratory Care Interstate Compact Commission, the executive 33
committee, or other committee of the commission established in 34
Article VII of s. 468.371 at which matters specifically exempted 35
from disclosure by federal or state law are discussed is exempt 36
from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution. 37
(b) Recordings, minutes, and records generated during an 38
exempt meeting or exempt portion of a meeting are exempt from s. 39
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 40
(3) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset 41
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 42
on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal 43
through reenactment by the Legislature. 44
Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 45
necessity that a respiratory therapist's personal identifying 46
information, other than his or her name, licensure status, or 47
licensure number, obtained from the data system described in 48
Article VIII of s. 468.371, Florida Statutes, and held by the 49
Department of Health or the Board of Respiratory Care be made 50

HB 1237 2026

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confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and 51
s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The personal 52
identifying information of a respiratory therapist should be 53
protected from public disclosure. Protection of such information 54
is required under the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. 55
Without the public records exemption, this state will be unable 56
to effectively implement and administer the compact. 57
(2)(a) The Legislature further finds that it is a public 58
necessity that any meeting of the Respiratory Care Interstate 59
Compact Commission, or the executive committee or other 60
committee of the commission, as provided in s. 468.371, Florida 61
Statutes, at which matters specifically exempted from disclosure 62
by federal or state law are discussed be made exempt from s. 63
286.011, Florida Statutes, and s. 24(b), Article I of the State 64
Constitution. 65
(b) The Respiratory Care Interstate Compact requires the 66
closure of any meeting, or portion of a meeting, held by the 67
Respiratory Care Interstate Compact Commission, or the executive 68
committee or committees of the commission, if the presiding 69
officer announces in a public meeting that, in connection with 70
the performance of the commission's duties, the commission must 71
discuss certain sensitive and confidential subject matters. In 72
the absence of a public meetings exemption, this state would be 73
prohibited from becoming a member state of the compact. 74
(3) The Legislature further finds that it is a public 75

HB 1237 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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necessity that the recordings, minutes,