This story is part of the annual Sunshine Sunday package.
For use Sunday, March 14, and thereafter

Proposed Sunshine bills in the 2010 Legislature

A summary of some of the open-records and open-meetings bills proposed in the 2010 Legislature. Drawn from the legislative report of the First Amendment Foundation.

HB 1211 and SB 1598 Open Government Act

Would enact many of the recommendations made by the Commission on Open Government Reform. Combines the public-records law and open-meetings law into one Open Government Act, changes fees for public records and changes the frequency of open-government sunset reviews.

Sponsors are Rep. Clay Ford, R-Pensacola, and Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland

Status: Passed its first Senate committee, awaits further references. The House version is referred to three committees.

PCB GAP 10-03a Public Record Exemption for E911 Recordings

Would exempt recordings of 911 calls from public records. Would make a transcript of the calls available within 60 days.

Sponsor is the House Governmental Affairs Policy Committee

Status: Passed by Governmental Affairs Policy Committee

HJR 241 and SJR 440 Public Access to the Legislative Process

Would expand public access to the legislative process. Prohibits discussion among lawmakers outside of open meetings, limits amendments offered in the last five days of session, requires detail in budget bills.

Sponsors are Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota, and Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach

Status: Referred to four House and four Senate committees. No action.

HB 1511 and SB 376 Public Notices

Would authorize governmental entities to publish legal and public notices on the Web.

Sponsors are Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne and Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness

Status: Referred to three House and four Senate committees. No action.

HB 1617 Legislative Budget Requests

Would require the Department of Health to establish an interactive online budget, stipulating it be updated each year and trace the flow of all funds appropriated to DOH in the past 20 years.

Sponsor is Rep. Nick Thompson, R-Fort Myers

Status: Referred to three House committees. No action.

HB 649 and 647 and SB 1496 and 1506 Exemption of Law Enforcement Photographs

Linked bills would exempt from public records investigative or crime-scene photos or videos of a deceased person or extreme, severe, or acute injuries. Would criminalize publication or broadcast of those same photos and videos.

Sponsors are Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, and Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville

Status: Referred to three House committees and three Senate committees. No action.

SB 1452 Public Records Mediation Program

Would allow challenges to public-records access decisions to a mediator.

Sponsor is Sen. Dan Gelber, R-Miami Beach

Status: Referred to four Senate committees. No action.

SB 1664 Hurricane Loss-Exposure Data open-government sunset review

Would reenact, with some modification, the exemption for reports of hurricane loss data specific to a particular insurance company. Would require Florida International University to publish a summary of the data from all companies.

Sponsor is the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee

Status: Referred to four Senate committees. No action.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press

Back to top | Return to Sunshine Sunday 2010