With a bill sponsor pointing to “eternal hurt,” the Florida House gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would provide a public-records exemption for autopsy reports of children killed in acts of domestic violence.
The House unanimously passed the bill (SB 404), which also was approved by the Senate this month. House sponsor Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, said the bill came after two Alachua County children, 14-year-old Rex Reinhart and 11-year-old Brody Reinhart, were fatally shot by their father, who then committed suicide.
A medical examiner released autopsy reports of the boys under the state’s public-records law. Clemons said news organizations then ran details of how the boys died.
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The bill, which is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis, also would provide a records exemption for a “photograph or video or audio recording that depicts or records the killing of a minor.”
Clemons said releasing such information can cause “eternal hurt” for families and friends. “Those boys were beloved in our community,” Clemons said. “They played travel-league baseball.”
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