Defending the Public’s Right to Know in an Era of Escalating Secrecy

Florida’s 2025 Legislative Session unfolded against a national backdrop of growing government secrecy and escalating onslaughts against free expression and a free press. Across the country and here in Florida, the dangers to the public’s right to speak freely and to know what government is doing in their name have never been greater. And the fight to protect those rights has never been more critical.

The First Amendment Foundation is in the thick of it.

Throughout the session, we tracked over 130 bills impacting transparency, speech, and access to public records. While many sought to roll back hard-won rights, a few aimed to restore accountability. We fought on both fronts—blocking efforts to expand secrecy and championing reforms that put the public first. We’re proud to report that we helped beat back several of the most dangerous threats to your rights—but we also suffered a major loss. Here's a breakdown of where we prevailed, where progress stalled, and where we still have work to do.

FAF Victories: What We Stopped

HB 667 / SB 752 – Defamation & Speech Suppression

These bills would have weaponized vague defamation claims to censor the press, bloggers, and social media users—chilling public debate across Florida.

Status: Defeated. Withdrawn before final votes.

HB 1443 / SB 1266 – Secrecy Shield for Police Under Marsy’s Law

This legislation attempted to revive discredited efforts to conceal the identities of police involved in use-of-force incidents. We joined a broad coalition to block it.

Status: Defeated. SB 1266 failed in the Senate; HB 1443 withdrawn.

Where FAF Lost Ground

SB 268 / HB 789 – Shielding Public Officials' Personal Info

This sweeping exemption lets officials—including legislators and the governor—conceal their home addresses and contact information. Transparency lost.

Status: Passed. Signed into law.

This was a major blow to accountability and a dangerous precedent in a time when transparency is already under siege. While the bill will do little to deter bad actors, it makes it extremely difficult for people to check whether their elected officials actually live in their districts.

Promising Reforms That Stalled

SB 1434 – Public Records Accountability Reform

This bill, shaped with FAF’s input, would have imposed timelines and penalties for unfulfilled records requests.

Status: Not heard in committee. No House companion.

HB 671 / SB 798 – E-Payments for Public Records Requests

A simple modernization to make paying for records easier and more accessible—ignored by the Legislature.

Status: Withdrawn.

HB 1321 / SB 1726 – Ending Secret University Searches

These bills aimed to reopen presidential search processes to public scrutiny and reduce political interference. Only the House version advanced.

Status: Partial victory. HB 1321 passed the House; SB 1726 died in committee.

The Path Ahead

In 2025, the stakes rose, and so did we. Together, we helped stop bad bills from becoming bad laws and laid the groundwork for meaningful reform. But as secrecy expands and censorship creeps in, the need for vigilance, advocacy, and action has never been greater.

The First Amendment Foundation remains on the front lines. With your support, we will continue to expose threats, fight for reforms, and defend your rights to speak, to know, and to hold power to account.

Stay engaged. Stay informed. Stay loud.

Remember we can’t do this work without your kindness and generosity. Please visit www.floridafaf.org to donate as well as to get updates and learn ways to take action.

Bobby Block

Executive Director

The First Amendment Foundation

bblock@floridafaf.org