Florida HB 117 Signed: Grand Jury Testimony Release Law (Feb. 29, 2024)

FLORIDA HB 117 — SIGNED FEBRUARY 29, 2024 Issued by: Office of Governor Ron DeSantis Effective date: July 1, 2024 WHAT THE LAW DOES HB 117 created a narrow exception to Florida's grand jury secrecy rules. It allows grand jury testimony to be disclosed when the subject of the inquiry is deceased, the investigation concerned sexual activity with a minor, and other statutory conditions are met, including notice to the state attorney. WHY IT MATTERS TO THE EPSTEIN CASE The governor's office said those conditions applied to the 2006 Palm Beach County grand jury that heard evidence about Jeffrey Epstein, and that the law would authorize release of that record once it took effect. Signing the bill, DeSantis said: "The public deserves to know who participated in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking." WHAT HAPPENED NEXT On July 1, 2024, the day the law took effect, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Luis Delgado released about 150 pages of the 2006 grand jury transcripts. CORRECTION NOTE An earlier version of this record described "2020 interim findings" from a Florida statewide grand jury on the Epstein case. No such findings were issued; this record now documents the 2024 law that opened the 2006 grand jury record. Source: Florida Governor's Office press release (February 29, 2024): https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2024/governor-desantis-signs-legislation-authorize-release-jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury