Florida HB 549: Pub. Rec./Injunctions for Protection in Cases of Repeat or Serious Violence

Bill Text

HB 549 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb549-00
Page 1 of 4
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
119.0714, F.S.; providing an exemption from public 3
records requirements for petitions, and the contents 4
thereof, for injunctions for protection against 5
serious violence by a known person; providing an 6
exemption from public records requirements for 7
information that can be used to identify a petitioner 8
or respondent in such a petition for an injunction; 9
providing a statement of public necessity; providing a 10
contingent effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section 15
119.0714, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 16
119.0714 Court files; court records; official records.— 17
(1) COURT FILES.—Nothing in this chapter shall be 18
construed to exempt from s. 119.07(1) a public record that was 19
made a part of a court file and that is not specifically closed 20
by order of court, except: 21
(k)1. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an 22
injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat 23
violence, dating violence, sexual violence, serious violence by 24
a known person, stalking, or cyberstalking which that is 25

HB 549 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb549-00
Page 2 of 4
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

dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex parte hearing 26
due to failure to state a claim or lack of jurisdiction, or 27
dismissed for any reason having to do with the sufficiency of 28
the petition itself without an injunction being issued on or 29
after July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), 30
Art. I of the State Constitution. 31
2. A petition, and the contents thereof, for an injunction 32
for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence, 33
dating violence, sexual violence, stalking, or cyberstalking 34
which that is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex 35
parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of 36
jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the 37
sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being 38
issued before July 1, 2017, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 39
24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution only upon request by an 40
individual named in the petition as a respondent. The request 41
must be in the form of a signed, legibly written request 42
specifying the case name, case number, document heading, and 43
page number. The request must be delivered by mail, facsimile, 44
or electronic transmission or in person to the clerk of the 45
court. A fee may not be charged for such request. 46
3. Any information that can be used to identify a 47
petitioner or respondent in a petition for an injunction against 48
domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual 49
violence, serious violence by a known person, stalking, or 50

HB 549 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb549-00
Page 3 of 4
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

cyberstalking, and any affidavits, notice of hearing, and 51
temporary injunction, is confidential and exempt from s. 52
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until 53
the respondent has been personally served with a copy of the 54
petition for injunction, affidavits, notice of hearing, and 55
temporary injunction. 56
Section 2. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 57
necessity that a petition, and the contents thereof, for an 58
injunction for protection against serious violence by a known 59
person which is dismissed without a hearing, dismissed at an ex 60
parte hearing due to failure to state a claim or lack of 61
jurisdiction, or dismissed for any reason having to do with the 62
sufficiency of the petition itself without an injunction being 63
issued be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and 64
s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The Legislature 65
finds that the existence of, and the unverified allegations 66
contained in, such a petition may be defamatory to an individual 67
named in it and cause unwarranted damage to the reputation of 68
such individual. The Legislature further finds that removing 69
such a record from public disclosure is the sole means of 70
protecting the reputation of such an individual. 71
(2) Additionally, the Legislature finds that it is a 72
public necessity that any information that can be used to 73
identify a petitioner or respondent in a petition for an 74
injunction against serious violence by a known person, and any 75

HB 549 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb549-00
Page 4 of 4
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

affidavits, notice of hearing, a