Darryl Rouson seeks privacy protections for court clerks, judicial conduct reviewers

Image via Colin Hackley.

Sen. Darryl Rouson has filed two bills seeking to expand the list of workers granted public records exemptions under state law.

The measures (SB 300 and SB 302) would exempt the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, photographs and places of employment from public record for court clerks at the appellate level and for Judicial Qualifications Commissioners, including those workers’ spouses and children.

SB 300 defines “appellate court” as the Florida Supreme Court or a district court of appeal. Rouson filed the bill to protect clerks and their families from potential acts of revenge related to their work.

SB 302, pertaining to the Judicial Review Commission and members’ families, additionally protects the locations of schools and day care facilities attended by the members’ children.

It would also apply retroactively to cover information available before the bill’s effective date, which, if passed, would be on July 1.

The Judicial Qualifications Commission is an independent state agency charged with investigating allegations of judicial misconduct. Its members include six Judges, five non-Judges selected by the Governor and four members of the Florida Bar.

SB 300, related to privacy protections for clerks and their families, does not yet have companion legislation in the House. It was filed on Jan. 17 and has not yet received committee assignments.

SB 302, however, filed the same day, has similar legislation filed in the House (HB 155) from Rep. Patt Maney. Maney is a Republican, while Rouson is a Democrat. It also has not yet been assigned to committee.

Public record exemptions are already in place for members of certain professions.

Those include current and former law enforcement and correctional officers; current and former investigators with the Department of Children and Family Services; current and former Department of Health workers charged with investigating child abuse or neglect or whose duties impact social security disability benefits, as well as in cases related to prosecution or cases against health care practitioners; current and former Department of Revenue employees responsible for revenue collection and/or child support enforcement; certain emergency medical technicians or paramedics; current and former juvenile probation officers; and others whose work may result in potential acts of revenge.

A complete list of existing public records exemptions can be found on the state Department of Management Services’ website.

The 2025 Legislative Session begins March 4 and runs for 60 days.