MIAMI, Fla. – On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed yet another bill into law — though this one is expected to have a major impact.
That law — HB 905 — aims to limit influence by “foreign countries of concern” (FCOCs), including places like Iran, North Korea, Cuba, China and Russia.
More specifically, the law makes the following changes:
- Public Officers: Requires public officers and employees to repay double the value of any benefit received from FCOCs or designated foreign terrorist groups (FTOs)
- Charities: Prohibits charitable organizations from accepting contributions from FCOCS
- Ethics Training: Expands ethics training to help identify foreign influence campaigns, particularly tactics associated with the Chinese Communist Party’s “United Front” strategy
- Cuban Business: Allows local governments and tax collectors to revoke business tax receipts from those who do business with Cuba in violation of federal law
- Governor Powers: Allows the governor to temporarily suspend statutes and rules restricting interactions with Cuba if the federal government changes Cuba’s diplomatic status
- Adoption Agreements: Prohibits preplanned adoption agreements and gestational surrogacy contracts if a party is a citizen or resident of a FCOC
- Enhanced Penalties: Establishes harsher penalties for crimes committed to benefit FCOCs or FTOs
Governor DeSantis Signs Legislation to Combat Hostile Foreign Influence https://t.co/BbxMeBGOP9
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 8, 2026
“Today, I signed the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act to strengthen Florida’s defenses against foreign adversaries,” DeSantis said. “This legislation combats hostile foreign influence in Florida by establishing new restrictions on agreements and partnerships involving countries of concern such as Iran and Cuba, as well as penalties for violations. The bill also strengthens ethics and disclosure requirements for elected officials and government employees, because public officials should be serving Floridians—not foreign adversaries.”
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
Meanwhile, you can find a full list of laws approved so far in 2026 by clicking here.