TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Of the dozens of new Florida laws passed so far this year, one stands out among the rest.
That’s HB 1471, which was originally filed by state Rep. Hillary Cassel (R-Hollywood) earlier this year. It seeks to make a variety of changes to state law regarding terrorist organizations.
Many of those revisions are as follows:
- Religious Laws: Courts and tribunals are prohibited from enforcing religious or foreign laws against someone if such application would violate his/her constitutional rights
- Private Schools: Prohibits private schools participating in state scholarship programs from being owned or funded by terrorist groups, terrorist supporters, or criminal gangs
- State Universities: Prevents institutions in the Florida College System from using state funds to support programs that advocate for terrorist organizations
- Visa Students: Public colleges must report information about the current status of students who are attending on a visa if they promote terrorist organizations
- Student Expulsions: If a student promotes a terrorist organization while enrolled at a public university, the student must be immediately expelled and assessed an out-of-state fee
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However, a major component of the law is a new rule that allows the FDLE executive director — a role appointed by the governor — to designate certain groups as terrorist organizations.
To do so, the FDLE director must find the following criteria:
| Domestic (DTO) or Foreign (FTO)? | Criteria |
|---|---|
| DTO | The organization is based in or operates in the U.S. |
| DTO | The organization’s terrorist activity is an ongoing threat to the security of Florida or the U.S. |
| DTO | The organization is engaging in activities that involve illegal acts to intimidate/coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation/coercion, or affect the conduct of government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping |
| FTO | The organization is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act |
| FTO | The organization’s terrorist activity is an ongoing threat to the security of Florida or the U.S. |
At least seven days before designating a group as a terrorist organization, the FDLE director must provide written notice to the Cabinet, along with written findings behind the decision.
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Then, the Cabinet will be responsible for either approving or rejecting the designation.
If a group is properly dubbed a terrorist organization, the following consequences would also apply:
- State agencies may not expend funds or levy ad valorem taxes to support such an organization or its members
- Criminal penalties imposed against such organization may be enhanced
- The following terrorist-related crimes include conduct involving a domestic terrorist group as designated by the FDLE head:
The law was ultimately signed by DeSantis early last month, though it doesn’t formally take effect until July 1.
Meanwhile, you can find a full list of new laws passed this year by clicking here.