TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) -- Florida lawmakers have approved a sweeping change to the state's public records rules that would shield the identities of crime victims and, in some cases, law enforcement officers who say they are victims of crimes.
The bill passed both the Florida House and Senate without debate and is now headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.
The vote comes more than two years after the Florida Supreme Court struck down part of Marsy's Law, the constitutional amendment aimed at protecting victims' identities.
That court ruling followed instances in which police agencies used Marsy's Law to withhold the names of officers who used lethal force, arguing the officers were victims as well. The court's decision left open the possibility for lawmakers to revise the law.
Rep. Anna Eskamani said the bill provides clearer standards for when an officer can be treated as a victim under the exemption.
"It does, I think, for me. provide clarity on when an officer becomes a victim versus when an officer is a suspect," Eskamani said.
Under the bill, if an officer says they were assaulted or threatened on the job, the officer's name would be kept confidential for 72 hours and exempt from public records for 60 days.
For crime victims, the measure would shield indefinitely any identifying information that could be used to locate, intimidate, harass, or abuse them.
Eskamani voted in favor of the bill and said changes made during the amendment process were intended to draw a line between legitimate victim cases and use-of-force incidents.
"The bill itself in the amendatory process tries to strike that balance to say that when an officer becomes a legitimate victim during the scope of their employment, rather than when they're involved in a use of force incident, is when this applies," she said.
The Florida Police Benevolent Association supported the bill, as did the organization Marsy's Law of Florida.
In a statement to CBS12 News, spokesperson Jennifer Fennell said "Marsy's Law supports any legislation that strengthens rights for crime victims and restores the privacy rights of Florida crime victims as long as it also ensures that when reviewing the conduct of on-duty law enforcement officers involved in use-of-force incidents, the right to privacy of their name must quickly yield to the public's right to know."
If the bill becomes law, lawmakers would have to reapprove the measure again in 2031 under Florida's sunset provision, which requires public records exemptions to be reviewed after five years.