Disclosure of Public Servants' Personal Information:
HB 1453 would create a new section of Florida Statutes, s. 111.101, to let certain public servants and their family members request that data brokers stop disclosing specified personal information about them. The bill is aimed at judges, prosecutors, law enforcement personnel, correctional officers, juvenile justice staff, certain Department of Children and Families and Department of Revenue employees, public defenders, and several related categories, as well as their close relatives, co-residents, and some comparable out-of-state officials living in Florida. A covered person or authorized agent could send written notice to a data broker, and the broker would then be prohibited from disclosing or redisclosing the protected information within 10 business days.
The bill defines protected information broadly to include home addresses, home telephone numbers, personal email addresses, Social Security and driver license numbers, vehicle identifiers, and mobile advertising IDs or other device-tracking identifiers. It also defines data broker, disclosure, home address, and related terms, and it expressly states that public availability from other sources or public records does not excuse a broker’s liability once notice is given. The measure would take effect July 1, 2025, and would apply a negligence standard, with civil enforcement in circuit court and remedies including actual or liquidated damages, punitive damages for willful or reckless conduct, attorney fees, and equitable relief.
If enacted, HB 1453 would add a new privacy and enforcement framework to Florida law focused on limiting data brokers’ dissemination of personal information for a defined class of public servants and their families. It would create a private right of action, establish statutory damages of at least $1,000 per violation, and authorize attorney’s fees and punitive damages in some cases, thereby increasing legal exposure for data brokers that continue to publish covered information after receiving notice. The bill would not generally remove information from public records, but it would restrict downstream commercial redistribution by data brokers after a request is made.
The bill’s stated purpose reflects strong support for protecting the safety and privacy of public servants who may face threats, intimidation, or retaliation because of their work. The absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials limits insight into detailed legislative sentiment, but the bill’s framing suggests a protective, security-oriented rationale rather than a controversial policy expansion. Its failure to advance and death in the Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee indicates it did not secure enough support to move forward in the 2025 session.
The main points of potential contention are the breadth of the covered-person categories, the scope of the protected information, and the bill’s treatment of information that is otherwise publicly available. Data brokers and related industry interests could object to the requirement to stop disclosure after notice, the negligence standard, and the statutory damages and fee-shifting provisions. Another possible issue is that the bill extends protections beyond active officials to former officials and family members, which broadens the class of protected persons and may raise questions about implementation, verification, and compliance burdens.