Bill > S0490

This bill expands an existing exemption from public records requirements for email addresses collected by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to include all email addresses collected for general notification purposes, not just for renewal notices, and also covers email addresses collected for vessel registration notifications. This means that the DHSMV can keep these email addresses private, preventing them from being accessed by the public, to protect individuals from potential identity theft, scams, or unwanted solicitations, as the Legislature has determined this privacy concern outweighs the public's right to access such information. The exemption will apply retroactively to past collections of these email addresses, will be reviewed by the Legislature in the future, and is set to automatically expire on October 2, 2031, unless the Legislature acts to extend it. The bill also specifies that it will only take effect if similar legislation, referred to as SB 488, is also passed and becomes law during the same legislative session.

Budget and Finance

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/490