No. CS/CS/SB 1178
Filed under Local Government.
Foreign Influence; Citing this act as the “Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act”; prohibiting preplanned adoption agreements unless certain conditions are met; prohibiting specified persons from soliciting or accepting anything of value from a designated foreign terrorist organization, a foreign country of concern, or persons or entities representing such organizations or countries; authorizing any appropriate tax collector to revoke or refuse to renew business tax receipts of specified individuals, businesses, or entities; prohibiting a governmental entity from knowingly entering into certain contracts with foreign sources of concern; removing the Florida-China Institute from the list of linkage institutes, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDState and local governments, and businesses that run critical infrastructure, are barred from contracts giving a foreign country of concern or terrorist organization control of that infrastructure or access to personal data, including through information-technology vendors and resellers.
Two new crimes appear: enforcing a foreign country's law against someone in Florida is now a felony, and any crime that benefits a foreign government gets bumped up a full offense class, up to a 15-year minimum.
Public officials can no longer accept anything of value from a foreign country of concern or terrorist organization for any purpose, and state or local agreements with those countries -- including sister-city relationships -- are barred and existing ones terminated by mid-2026.
Preplanned adoption and gestational surrogacy agreements are void unless the surrogate and intended parents are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, with at least one intended parent living in Florida.
AIA new law bars governmental agencies and businesses that build, repair, or operate a critical infrastructure facility from any contract or agreement that would let a foreign source of concern directly or remotely access or control the facility. A parallel ban blocks foreign-made information technology in critical infrastructure outright, subject to a Department of Commerce waiver, and violations carry a $1,000-per-day civil penalty plus a second-degree misdemeanor.
AIExisting law barred government contracts that gave a foreign source of concern access to personal data. This adds a flat ban on government contracts for information technology with a foreign source of concern, including through a third-party reseller, and redefines 'foreign source of concern' by cross-reference to a broader statute.
AIA new crime bars anyone, without state or federal approval, from stopping another person in Florida from breaking a foreign country's law that is not also Florida or federal law, or from investigating or surveilling someone for that purpose. Violating it is a third-degree felony, rising to second-degree if done to benefit a foreign government or terrorist organization.
AIAny misdemeanor or felony gets reclassified one full offense class higher -- second-degree misdemeanor up to first-degree felony reclassified to a life felony -- if committed to benefit, promote, or further the interests of a foreign government, a designated terrorist organization, or their agent. The top tier carries a mandatory 15-year minimum sentence.
AIPublic officers, agency employees, local government attorneys, and candidates for office may no longer solicit or accept anything of value -- for any purpose -- from a designated foreign terrorist organization, a foreign country of concern, or anyone representing one. Unlike the existing gift ban, no quid-pro-quo understanding about a vote or official act is required to violate it.
AIState agencies, political subdivisions, and public schools may no longer enter or accept a grant under any agreement with a foreign country of concern or its subdivisions, regardless of the agreement's own terms. Every agreement already in place with such a country, including sister-city agreements, is terminated as of July 1, 2026.
AIA preplanned adoption agreement is void unless the volunteer mother is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and each intended parent is too, with at least one intended parent domiciled in Florida. A parallel citizenship and Florida-domicile requirement applies to gestational surrogacy contracts under s. 742.15.
AIA university-run linkage institute may no longer enter any agreement or participate in any activity with a foreign country of concern or an organization based in one. The same section removes the institutes' authority to admit up to 25 exchange students per year at resident tuition rates, and drops the Florida-China Institute from the statutory list entirely.