SESSION WATCH
THE BILL ITSELF

SR 1402

Taiwan

VERSION S 1402 Filed · BACK TO THE SUMMARY · OFFICIAL RECORD

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SR 1402 By Senator Calatayud 38-01815-26 20261402__
1 Senate Resolution
2 A resolution expressing appreciation for the sister
3 state relationship and bilateral economic and cultural
4 ties between the State of Florida and Taiwan and
5 encouraging the Governor to lead a trade and economic
6 delegation to Taiwan in 2026.
8 WHEREAS, the Taiwan Relations Act was signed into United
9 States law in 1979, formally establishing the basis for the
10 continued commercial and cultural relations between the people
11 of the United States and Taiwan, and
12 WHEREAS, the administration of Taiwan has continued with
13 its signature Integrated Diplomacy proposed by President Lai
14 Ching-te, demonstrating that Taiwan is a pivotal force for
15 stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, and
16 WHEREAS, the United States severely condemned China for
17 misusing the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in
18 its attempt to isolate Taiwan at the United Nations Security
19 Council in April 2025, and reiterated that Resolution 2758 did
20 not preclude Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations system
21 or other multilateral forums, and
22 WHEREAS, President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance
23 Implementation Act and the National Defense Authorization Act
24 for Fiscal Year 2026 in December 2025, demonstrating strong
25 bipartisan support from Congress and the executive branch for
26 deepening Taiwan-U.S. relations and bolstering Taiwan’s defense
27 capabilities, and
28 WHEREAS, Taiwan is the United States’ seventh-largest
29 trading partner, as well as Florida’s fourth-largest bilateral
30 merchandise trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region, and
31 Taiwan’s economy is exceptionally strong, exceeding a GDP growth
32 rate of 7 percent in 2025, and
33 WHEREAS, the beef working group of the 2025 Taiwan
34 Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission that visited Florida in
35 September 2025 learned the advantages of Florida’s cattle
36 industry, underscoring Taiwan’s commitment to strengthen its
37 beef trade with Florida and explore opportunities for expanding
38 bilateral cooperation based on the Taiwan-Florida Memorandum of
39 Understanding, and
40 WHEREAS, the Florida Leadership Mission, approved by
41 Governor Ron DeSantis and composed of leaders from state
42 government, economic development organizations, universities,
43 and representatives from the business community, visited Taiwan
44 in October 2025 to expand strategic cooperation between Taiwan
45 and Florida and advance collaboration in critical sectors, and
46 WHEREAS, since November 1, 2012, Taiwan has been a member
47 of the United States Visa Waiver Program, which enhances the
48 convenience of two-way travel for business and tourism,
49 reflecting the cooperation between the United States and Taiwan,
50 and
51 WHEREAS, the launch of FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 on June 25,
52 2019, a joint United States-Taiwan collaborative space mission
53 consisting of a constellation of six satellites designed to
54 enhance the accuracy of atmospheric weather prediction, has
55 demonstrated the mutual benefit born from the relations between
56 Florida and Taiwan, and
57 WHEREAS, Taiwan actively participates in international
58 organizations, including the World Health Assembly, the United
59 Nations, the International Criminal Police Organization, and the
60 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, while
61 also maintaining its membership status in both the Asia-Pacific
62 Economic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization, as well
63 as participating, observing, and cooperating with more than 50
64 additional international organizations, and
65 WHEREAS, the economic bonds between the United States and
66 Taiwan continue to flourish, embodied by the signing of the
67 United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First
68 Agreement Implementation Act in August 2023; the extension of
69 the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue Memorandum of
70 Cooperation for an additional 5 years; the inclusion of Taiwan
71 in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework; and the introduction of
72 the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act in
73 Congress in January 2025, and
74 WHEREAS, since the establishment of the Taipei Economic and
75 Cultural Office in Miami in 1988, Taiwan has developed a sister
76 state relationship with Florida and multiple sister city
77 relations within this state, and Florida is proud of its 34
78 year-long sister state relationship with Taiwan, NOW, THEREFORE,
80 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
82 That the Senate expresses its appreciation for the sister
83 state relationship and bilateral economic and cultural ties
84 between the State of Florida and Taiwan.
85 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, to further fortify the
86 significant friendship between Taiwan and Florida, the Governor
87 of Florida is encouraged to lead a trade and economic delegation
88 meeting in Taiwan in 2026, and the Secretary of State is
89 directed to dispatch copies of this resolution to President Lai
90 Ching-te, through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in
91 Miami, and to the Executive Office of the Governor as a tangible
92 token of the sentiments expressed herein.