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 makes 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:
- No taxpayer funding: State and local agencies may not expend funds or levy ad valorem taxes to support such an organization or its members
- No school funding: Public colleges, universities, and school districts may not use public resources to support or promote designated organizations
- Harsher penalties: Criminal penalties imposed against such organization may be enhanced
- Terrorism crimes: The following terrorist-related crimes include conduct involving a domestic terrorist group as designated by the FDLE head:
Critics like the ACLU have warned that HB 1471 includes vague standards without constitutional safeguards.
However, proponents like DeSantis instead argue that the law will help protect citizens by combatting the influence of “radical terrorist ideologies.”
Shortly after the law took effect last month, DeSantis announced that he would impose the terrorist designation on Antifa, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Per a release, the state also received recommendations to designate over 90 foreign terrorist organizations under state law, including:
- Cartel de Sinaloa
- Tren de Aragua
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
- Cartel del Noreste
- Cartel del Golfo
Meanwhile, you can find a full list of new laws passed this year by clicking here.