---
type: "Bill"
title: "Public Records"
description: "Public Records; Prohibits county recorder from removing grantor, grantee, or party name from register of Official Records & index under certain conditions; prescribes requirements for person claiming public records exemption; authorizes release of restricted information to certain entities whose information was removed; authorizes disclosure of exempt information to specified parties; provides criminal penalties; requires that request to maintain exempt status be notarized; prescribes procedures for removal of exempt information; provides that exempt status of home address contained in Official Records is maintained only during certain period; prescribes procedures to release protected decedent's removed information; requires daily schedule of deeds & conveyances to include notification of any information therein which is subject to request for removal."
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 781"
citation: "Florida HB 781 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2021-215"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 5
action_count: 49
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2021-02-04"
last_action: "2021-07-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/515cbeac-9ad3-4eb3-ba8c-6d6d75062391"
source_url: "https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/781/ByCategory"
source_hash: "bbd369221206572424cf55ebf4abe8e54c5b28a0244bf6b4172698595978ce3e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-fl"]
---

# Florida HB 781 (2021) — Public Records

Public Records; Prohibits county recorder from removing grantor, grantee, or party name from register of Official Records & index under certain conditions; prescribes requirements for person claiming public records exemption; authorizes release of restricted information to certain entities whose information was removed; authorizes disclosure of exempt information to specified parties; provides criminal penalties; requires that request to maintain exempt status be notarized; prescribes procedures for removal of exempt information; provides that exempt status of home address contained in Official Records is maintained only during certain period; prescribes procedures to release protected decedent's removed information; requires daily schedule of deeds & conveyances to include notification of any information therein which is subject to request for removal.

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2021-215.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **H 781 Filed** (filed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/781/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 781 c1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/781/BillText/c1/PDF)
3. **H 781 c2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/781/BillText/c2/PDF)
4. **H 781 e1** (engrossed) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/781/BillText/e1/PDF)
5. **H 781 er** (enrolled) — [source](https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/781/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Favorable With Committee Substitute (State Affairs Committee) — **19–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage, Third Reading — **118–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Favorable (Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee) — **17–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Government Operations Subcommittee) — **15–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- State Affairs Committee — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-02-04** Filed `filing`
- **2021-02-22** Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-22** Referred to Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-22** Referred to State Affairs Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-22** Now in Government Operations Subcommittee
- **2021-03-02** 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
- **2021-03-22** PCS added to Government Operations Subcommittee agenda
- **2021-03-24** Favorable with CS by Government Operations Subcommittee
- **2021-03-26** Reported out of Government Operations Subcommittee
- **2021-03-26** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
- **2021-03-26** CS Filed
- **2021-03-26** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
- **2021-03-29** Referred to Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-29** Referred to State Affairs Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-29** Now in Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee
- **2021-04-02** Added to Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee agenda
- **2021-04-06** Favorable by Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-06** Reported out of Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee
- **2021-04-06** Now in State Affairs Committee
- **2021-04-13** Added to State Affairs Committee agenda
- **2021-04-15** Favorable with CS by State Affairs Committee
- **2021-04-15** Reported out of State Affairs Committee
- **2021-04-15** Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
- **2021-04-15** CS Filed
- **2021-04-15** Bill referred to House Calendar
- **2021-04-15** Bill added to Special Order Calendar (4/20/2021)
- **2021-04-15** 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
- **2021-04-16** Amendment 338739 filed
- **2021-04-20** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-20** Amendment 338739 adopted
- **2021-04-20** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2021-04-20** Added to Third Reading Calendar
- **2021-04-21** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-21** CS passed as amended; YEAS 118, NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-21** Message sent to senate
- **2021-04-21** In Messages
- **2021-04-21** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-21** Received
- **2021-04-22** Withdrawn from Rules `withdrawal`
- **2021-04-22** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2021-04-22** Substituted for CS/CS/CS/SB 844
- **2021-04-22** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-22** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-22** CS passed; YEAS 40 NAYS 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-22** In Messages
- **2021-04-22** Ordered enrolled
- **2021-06-28** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
- **2021-06-29** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-07-06** Chapter No. 2021-215

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/515cbeac-9ad3-4eb3-ba8c-6d6d75062391`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).