BIENNIAL REPORT of the ATTORNEY GENERAL STATE OF FLORIDA January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2016 PAM BONDI Attorney General NEY GEN R ER TO A T L A S T A AT ID E O LOR F F Tallahassee, Florida 2017 CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL The revised Constitution of Florida of 1968 sets out the duties of the Attorney General in Subsection (c), Section 4, Article IV, as: “...the chief state legal offi cer.” By statute, the Attorney General is head of the Department of Legal Affairs, and supervises the following functions: Serves as legal advisor to the Governor and other executive offi cers of the State and state agencies; Defends the public interest; Represents the State in legal proceedings; Keeps a record of his or her offi cial acts and opinions; Serves as a reporter for the Supreme Court. ii NEY GEN R ER TO A T L A S T A A D T RI E OF FLO STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI March 31, 2017 The Honorable Rick Scott Governor of Florida The Capitol Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001 Dear Governor Scott: Pursuant to my constitutional duties and the statutory requirement that this offi ce periodically publish a report on the Attorney General offi cial opinions, I submit herewith the biennial report of the Attorney General for the two preceding years from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2016. This report includes the opinions rendered, an organizational chart, and personnel list. The opinions are alphabetically indexed by subject in the back of the report with a table of constitutional and statutory sections cited in the opinions. It’s an honor to serve with you for the people of Florida. Sincerely, Pam Bondi Attorney General iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Constitutional Duties of the Attorney General .......................................ii Letter of Transmittal .....................................................................................iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................... iv Attorneys General of Florida since 1845 .................................................... v Department of Legal Affairs .........................................................................vi Statement of Policy Concerning Attorney General Opinions ........... xii Seal of the Attorney General of Florida ................................................ xvii OPINIONS Opinions 2015 ....................................................................................................1 Opinions 2016 ..................................................................................................56 INDEX AND CITATOR General Index ................................................................................................125 Citator to Florida Statutes, Constitution, and Session Laws ..........................................................................................135 iv ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF FLORIDA SINCE 1845 Joseph Branch ......................................................1845-1846 Augustus E. Maxwell ...........................................1846-1848 James T. Archer ...................................................1848-1848 David P. Hogue .....................................................1848-1853 Mariano D. Papy ...................................................1853-1860 John B. Galbraith .................................................1860-1868 James D. Wescott, Jr. ...........................................1868-1868 A. R. Meek ...............................................................1868-1870 Sherman Conant ...................................................1870-1870 J. P. C. Drew ..........................................................1870-1872 H. Bisbee, Jr. ..........................................................1872-1872 J. P. C. Emmons ....................................................1872-1873 William A. Cocke ...................................................1873-1877 George P. Raney ...................................................1877-1885 C. M. Cooper...........................................................1885-1889 William B. Lamar ..................................................1889-1903 James B. Whitfi eld ................................................1903-1904 W. H. Ellis ...............................................................1904-1909 Park Trammell ......................................................1909-1913 Thomas F. West .....................................................1913-1917 Van C. Swearingen ...............................................1917-1921 Rivers Buford ........................................................1921-1925 J. B. Johnson .........................................................1925-1927 Fred H. Davis .........................................................1927-1931 Cary D. Landis.......................................................1931-1938 George Couper Gibbs ..........................................1938-1941 J. Tom Watson .......................................................1941-1949 Richard W. Ervin ..................................................1949-1964 James W. Kynes.....................................................1964-1965 Earl Faircloth ........................................................1965-1971 Robert Shevin ........................................................1971-1979 Jim Smith ...............................................................1979-1987 Robert A. Butterworth ........................................1987-2002 Richard E. Doran ................................................. 2002-2003 Charlie Crist ......................................................... 2003-2007 Bill McCollum ........................................................2007-2011 Pam Bondi ..............................................................2011- v 67$7(2))/25,'$ 2)),&(2)7+($77251(<*(1(5$/ )/25,'$ ,163(&725*(1(5$/ $77251(<*(1(5$/ 67$7(:,'(3526(&8725 &+,()'(387< $77251(<*(1(5$/ '(387< '(387< $77251(<*(1(5$/ $77251(<*(1(5$/ 9,&7,06(59,&(6&5,0,1$/ $662&,$7('(387< $662&,$7('(387< -867,&(',5(&725',52)/$: $662&,$7('(387< 62/,&,725*(1(5$/ (1)25&(0(175(/$7,216 0(',&$,')5$8' &5,0,1$/$33($/6 *(1(5$/&,9,//,7,*$7,21 ',5(&7252) ,1)250$7,217(&+12/2*< $17,75867DQG $'0,1,675$7,21 ',5(&725 08/7,67$7(/,7,*$7,21 ',5(&7252) &20081,&$7,216 ),1$1&($1'$&&2817,1* &,7,=(16(59,&(6 %85($8&+,() ',5(&725 /(021/$:$5%,75$7,21 ',5(&725 ',5(&7252) /(*,6/$7,9($))$,56 *(1(5$/6(59,&(6 ',5(&7252) %85($8&+,() &$%,1(7$))$,56 vi &,9,/5,*+76 ',5(&725 63(&,$/&2816(/)25 23(5$7,216$1'%8'*(7 /(*$/23,1,216 23(1*29(510(17 %85($8&+,() ',5(&725 (&2120,&&5,0(6 ',5(&725 +80$15(6285&(6 %85($8&+,() 9,&7,0&203(16$7,21 %85($8&+,() &5,0,1$/-867,&(352*5$06 %85($8&+,() (&2120,&&5,0(6 67$7(352*5$06 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 &5,0,1$/$33($/6 &203/(;/,7,*$7,21 $667'(387<)7/$8'(5'$/( 6287+)/%85($8&+,() $'92&$&<*5$1760*07 :(673$/0%&+%85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() (&2120,&&5,0(6 0(',&$,')5$8' &5,0,1$/$33($/6 5(9(18(/,7,*$7,21 &255(&7,216 &(175$/)/%85($8&+,() &203/(;&,9,/(1)25&(0(17 0,$0,)7/$8'%85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() (&2120,&&5,0(6 0(',&$,')5$8' &$3,7$/$33($/6 7257/,7,*$7,21 1257+)/%85($8&+,() '(387<',5(&725/$: $'0,1,675$7,9(/$: (1)25&(0(170$-25 %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 7$03$%85($8&+,() (&2120,&&5,0(6 &5,0,1$/$33($/6 08/7,67$7((1)25&(0(17&+,() (7+,&6 (03/2<0(17/,7,*$7,21 7$//$+$66((%85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 0(',&$,')5$8' 25/$1'2%85($8&+,() 1257+(515(*,21$/&+,() &5,0,1$/$33($/6 *(1(5$/&,9,/ *(1(5$/&,9,/ '$<721$%85($8&+,() )7/$8':3%%85($8&+,() 7$03$%85($8&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 0(',&$,')5$8' )70<(56%85($8&+,() &(175$/5(*,21$/&+,() &5,0,1$/$33($/6 7$03$%85($8&+,() &+,/'5(1 6/(*$/69&6 /$:/,%5$5< )/(/(&7,216&200,66,21 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 (;(&87,9(',5(&725 0(',&$,')5$8' )7/$8'(5'$/(&+,() 6287+(515(*,21$/&+,() :(673$/0%&+ &+,/'6833257 &+,/'5(1 6/(*$/69&6 (1)25&(0(17%85($8&+,() &2002167$7862):20(1 7$03$&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 (;(&87,9(',5(&725 0,$0,%85($8&+,() &6(673(7( &281&,/217+(62&,$/ 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 67$7862) -$&.6219,//(%85($8&+,() %/$&.0(1$1'%2<6 &6()7/$8'(5'$/( &6(7$//$+$66(( OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050 (850) 245-0140 PAMELA BONDI ATTORNEY GENERAL PATRICIA CONNERS KENT PEREZ STEVE RUMPH JR. DEPUTY DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL NICOLAS COX PATRICIA GLEASON EMERY GAINEY STATEWIDE PROSECUTOR SPECIAL COUNSEL DIRECTOR OF LAW FOR OPEN ENFORCEMENT GOVERNMENT VICTIMS & CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM CAROLYN SNURKOWSKI AMITABH AGARWAL CHESTERFIELD SMITH JR. ASSOCIATE DEPUTY SOLICITOR GENERAL ASSOCIATE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CRIMINAL APPEALS FOR GENERAL CIVIL LITIGATION DANILLE CARROLL JIM VARNADO SABRINA DONOVAN DIRECTOR OF CIVIL DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF RIGHTS MEDICAID FRAUD ADMINISTRATION VICKI BUTLER ROB JOHNSON DANA WIEHLE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF LEMON LAW CRIMES LEGISLATIVE & CABINET AFFAIRS GERRY HAMMOND NILDA PEDROSA DOUG SMITH DIRECTOR OF OPINIONS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES WHITNEY RAY KIMBERLI OSWALD ANDREW FAY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OF CITIZEN SPECIAL COUNSEL DIRECTOR SERVICES JASON RODRIGUEZ EXTERNAL AFFAIRS vii Kimberly Acuna David Bundy Christina Dominguez Jill Adams Victoria Butler Vanessa Duffey Rotem Adar David Campbell Thomas Duffy Ronnie Adili Leslie Campbell Susan Dunlevy Amitabh Agarwal James Carney Mark Dunn Stephen Ake Cynthia Carrino Shirley Durham Chelsea Alper Danille Carroll David Earl Jeannette Andrews-Thompson Edward Carter Robert Edelman