GOVERNOR SIGNS PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION TO PROTECT VETERANS AND MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS IN SPECIALTY

GOVERNOR SIGNS PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION TO PROTECT VETERANS AND MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS IN SPECIALTY COURTS INTO LAW

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a measure that makes privacy protections in Florida’s problem solving courts more uniform.

DeSantis on March 22 signed HB 715 by Republican Rep. Patt Maney, a retired Northwest Florida judge. Sen. Darryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg attorney, sponsored the companion, SB 910.

The legislation creates a public records exemption for participants in veterans and mental health courts, extending the same privacy protections that apply to other problem-solving courts.

With exceptions for the patient’s attorneys and health care providers, the bill would shield from public view such things as intake records, drug screenings, and mental health and behavioral evaluations. The legislation took effect when DeSantis signed the bill.

Because it is a public records exemption, the Legislature must reauthorize it in 2029, or it will sunset.