Florida began its tradition of openness back in 1909 with the passage of Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes or the “Public Records Law.” This law provides that any records made or received by any public agency in the course of its official business are available for inspection, unless specifically exempted by the Florida Legislature. Over the years, the definition of what constitutes “public records” has come to include not just traditional written documents such as papers, maps and books, but also tapes, photographs, film, sound recordings, and records stored in computers.

Florida expanded this access in 1967 with passage of the Government-in-the-Sunshine Law. This law establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards, commissions, and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies or authorities.