FloridaHB 14712026HouseWALLET

Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations

Sponsored By: Hillary Cassel (Republican)

Signed by Governor

AppropriationCivil Justice & Claims SubcommitteeEducation & Employment CommitteeJudiciary CommitteeHouse CalendarRules

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

9 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 7 costs, 1 mixed.

Students face expulsion and out-of-state fees

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida state colleges and universities must immediately expel students found to have promoted designated terrorist groups. Affected students must also be assessed the institution's out-of-state fee. The designation must be published in the Florida Administrative Register. For expulsion, promotion means statements or actions supporting, approving, or encouraging the group's unlawful violence that meet specific context-based tests. Those tests include a true threat, major disruption of learning, substantial disorder, invasion of others' rights, material support, or recruitment. Institutions must adopt the required reporting and disciplinary procedures. The law states no dollar amount for the out-of-state fee.

Students lose aid and fee waivers

For enrollment terms starting on or after July 1, 2026, students who promote designated terrorist groups lose specified aid eligibility. They cannot receive institutional or state grants, financial aid, scholarships, or tuition assistance under Florida's Chapter 1009 for that term. Beginning July 1, 2026, students who promote such groups during an enrollment term are also ineligible for fee waivers under section 1009.26. The group's designation must be published in the Florida Administrative Register. The law states no dollar value for lost aid or waivers.

Courts face limits on foreign law

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida courts, agencies, and arbitration panels cannot apply foreign or religious law that violates constitutional rights. This includes laws of foreign countries or international organizations and religious legal systems, including Sharia. The law also limits enforcement of judgments, orders, and contract clauses choosing another legal system or court. A forum choice is barred when it likely leads to a constitutional-rights violation. Courts cannot enforce foreign judgments that violate constitutional rights or fundamental U.S. or Florida public policy. Exclusions cover U.S. constitutions, federal and state law, common law, U.S. tribal law, ratified treaties, and natural-law or natural-rights frameworks. Religious groups retain control over internal faith matters, including doctrine, discipline, and clergy appointments or removal.

Domestic terrorist ties bring felony penalties

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida extends terrorist-training, support, and membership offenses to designated domestic groups as well as foreign groups. Using, attempting to use, or conspiring to use their military-type training to unlawfully harm people or damage critical infrastructure is a second-degree felony. It becomes a first-degree felony when the conduct causes death or serious bodily injury. Knowingly providing, attempting to provide, or conspiring to provide material support or resources is a first-degree felony. The person must know the group is designated or has engaged in terrorism or terrorist activity. Personnel support includes directing people to work under the group's control or organize, manage, or supervise its operations; entirely independent action is excluded. Willfully joining and serving under a group's control with intent to further its illegal acts is a second-degree felony. Published domestic designations also count under Florida's criminal gang law, without preventing prosecution of people acting alone.

Public agencies face terrorist funding bans

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered state and local agencies and public school districts face financial restrictions. They cannot use state funds or property taxes to support designated terrorist groups or their members. They cannot contract with designated groups or accept money from groups or members. The spending and money-acceptance bans apply after designation is published in the Florida Administrative Register. Acceptance exceptions cover fines, penalties, forfeitures, taxes, and payments for goods or services provided to the group or member. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement must adopt rules to carry out these bans.

Colleges must report certain visa students

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida public colleges and universities must report the current status of certain students on student visas. The requirement applies when a student promotes a designated domestic or foreign terrorist organization. The designation must be published in the Florida Administrative Register. The reporting duty falls on the institution, and this provision does not specify a reporting recipient.

Scholarship schools face funding loss

Beginning July 1, 2026, private schools in Florida scholarship programs must restrict ties to specified people and organizations. The rules cover employment, contracts, school ownership or operation, and accepting money. Covered parties include affiliates of designated terrorist groups, criminal gangs, and terrorist or transnational crime organizations. They also include material-support providers or recipients and parties with a pattern of supporting or advocating terrorism. Schools cannot run covered programs or student groups promoting these organizations or supporters. A school that knowingly violates the rules loses funding and cannot enroll new scholarship students for 1 fiscal year and until it complies. The education commissioner can also find the school ineligible for scholarship-program participation.

Schools and colleges face spending bans

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered Florida schools and colleges cannot use state or federal money for programs or campus activities promoting designated terrorist groups. Designations must be published in the Florida Administrative Register. The school rules cover public and charter schools, districts, charter administrators, and their direct-support organizations. Those rules also bar activities promoting people or entities that provide material support to designated groups. The college rules cover postsecondary institutions and their direct-support organizations. The State Board of Education or Board of Governors can withhold performance-based funding from a violating state college or university.

Terrorist groups face designation and review

Beginning July 1, 2026, Florida's Chief of Domestic Security can designate domestic and foreign terrorist organizations. Domestic groups must be based or operate in the United States, engage in terrorism, and pose an ongoing security threat. Foreign groups must have a federal terrorist designation and pose an ongoing threat to Florida or U.S. security. The Governor and Cabinet receive written notice and can approve or reject a designation by majority vote after at least 7 days. Organizations receive notice when they have a readily identifiable location and delivery is safe. Approved designations must appear in the Florida Administrative Register within 7 days. A group or member has 30 days after publication to challenge the designation in Leon County circuit court. Courts cannot compel disclosure of protected confidential materials related to the designation. The state must keep a current website list, review each designation at least every 5 years, and adopt implementation rules. Groups can petition for removal at any time, and the Governor and Cabinet can remove designations by majority vote. The Department of State can start dissolving a designated corporation after publication and after any timely court challenge is resolved against it.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Hillary Cassel
Republican • House

Cosponsors

Education & Employment Committee
Affiliation unavailable
Judiciary Committee
Affiliation unavailable

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 186 • No: 62

House vote • 3/12/2026

House Floor Vote

Yes: 80 • No: 25

Senate vote • 3/5/2026

Senate Floor Vote

Yes: 25 • No: 11

House vote • 3/3/2026