Title: Public Records/Location of Artificial Reefs

Summary: Exempts from public records requirements personal information contained in site files or records which identifies location of artificial reefs funded with private contributions; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides statement of public necessity.

Full Text:
An act relating to public records; amending s. 379.249, F.S.; exempting from public records requirements the personal information contained in site files or records which identifies the location of artificial reefs funded with private contributions; providing for future legislative review and repeal under the Open Government Sunset Review Act; providing a statement of public necessity; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 379.249, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 379.249 Artificial reef program; grants and financial and technical assistance to local governments.-(5)(a) The commission's artificial reef program shall track all artificial-reef-development activities statewide, and maintain a computer database of these activities for the public interest and to facilitate long-range planning and coordination within the commission and among local governments. (b) Information that identifies the location of an artificial reef funded with private contributions which is contained in site files or records maintained by an agency as defined in s. 119.011 is exempt from s. 9.07(1) and from s. HB 2015 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2020, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenact ment by the Legislature. Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public necessity that information that identifies the location of an artificial reef funded with private contributions and which is held by an agency as defined in s. 119.011 be mad eexempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. The Legislature finds that disclosing the locations of artificial reefs funded with private contributions would discourage the artificial reef building partner ship programs with coastal local governments. Thus, the Legislature finds that strengthening the artificial reef building partnership programs outweighs any public benefit that may be derived from the disclosure of such information. Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.