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SB 1146FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead

Proposed Privacy Protections for Child Protective Investigation Recordings

Original title: Public Records/Recordings of Protective Investigations

March 13, 2026

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The Frame

What this does

If enacted, this bill would restrict public access to sensitive interview recordings involving child abuse or neglect investigations, potentially impacting the ability of the public or media to review agency conduct while aiming to protect the privacy of children and families involved in trauma-related cases.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Children and Families

The agency is required to maintain confidentiality of recordings and retain them for a minimum of 5 years.

Caregivers of children in protective investigations

Caregivers gain a specific legal pathway to request copies of interview recordings for use in judicial proceedings.

General public

The public loses the ability to access these specific interview recordings through standard public records requests.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would make audio and video recordings of interviews conducted during Department of Children and Families (DCF) investigations confidential and exempt from public records requests. It limits who can access these recordings and mandates that they be kept for at least five years.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can access these recordings if the bill passes?
Access is limited to those conducting the investigation and the caregiver of the child involved in the investigation for use in judicial proceedings.
How long will the state keep these recordings?
The bill requires that these recordings be retained for at least 5 years.
Is this a permanent change to public records law?
No, the exemption is set to expire on October 2, 2031, unless the Legislature reviews and reenacts it.

Why It Matters

If enacted, this bill would restrict public access to sensitive interview recordings involving child abuse or neglect investigations, potentially impacting the ability of the public or media to review agency conduct while aiming to protect the privacy of children and families involved in trauma-related cases.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Sunset Clause Integration

The bill explicitly ties its existence to the Open Government Sunset Review Act, ensuring a mandatory expiration date of October 2, 2031.

Connected Entities

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy50
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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