Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs sweeping new law aimed at strengthening protections against foreign influence and hostile foreign actors
Miami, Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new law aimed at tightening the state’s defenses against what officials describe as growing foreign influence and interference risks targeting government systems, universities, infrastructure, and economic activity.
The legislation, known as HB 905 or the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act, was signed in Miami and marks one of the latest steps in a broader policy effort by Florida to limit engagement with countries and entities considered foreign adversaries. The law focuses on increasing oversight, restricting certain partnerships, and strengthening penalties for violations involving hostile foreign actors.
According to the Governor, the measure is designed to protect Florida institutions from outside pressure and covert influence operations. Speaking about the bill, DeSantis said:
“Today, I signed the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act to strengthen Florida’s defenses against foreign adversaries,” said Governor DeSantis. “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 new law expands restrictions across multiple areas of public and private activity. It introduces stricter rules on agreements involving countries identified as foreign threats and increases oversight of partnerships that could expose sensitive information or resources.
Florida has already implemented several related measures in recent years. In 2021, the state passed legislation requiring more transparency around foreign donations to universities and increasing penalties for trade secret theft involving hostile foreign actors. Those earlier steps were part of a broader strategy to limit foreign access to sensitive state-linked systems.
In 2023, Florida expanded its approach further by banning certain land purchases linked to foreign governments near military bases and critical infrastructure. The state also restricted contracts involving countries of concern and prohibited foreign-controlled apps from being used on government devices. Officials said those moves were aimed at reducing cybersecurity risks and protecting public data.
Alongside those laws, Florida created new tools to track foreign influence activity. The SecureFlorida Portal and the Office of SecureFlorida within the Florida Department of Commerce were established to monitor foreign ownership patterns and provide oversight of potential security risks tied to property and financial activity in the state.
HB 905 builds on this framework with additional restrictions and enforcement mechanisms. One of its central provisions prohibits public officials, employees, local government attorneys, and political candidates from accepting gifts or benefits from foreign countries of concern or designated foreign terrorist organizations. State leaders say this is intended to reduce opportunities for improper influence in public decision-making.
The law also expands mandatory ethics training for public officials, requiring instruction on identifying foreign influence campaigns. This includes awareness of tactics associated with organized influence strategies, including those linked to the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front approach.
In addition, the legislation ends sister city agreements and related partnerships involving countries flagged as foreign threats. It also repeals the Florida-China Linkage Institute, further reducing formal institutional ties with foreign entities considered high risk under the new framework.
Another key provision requires the Florida Department of State to publish and maintain a public list of foreign consulate offices operating in Florida, as well as sister city and sister state relationships. State officials say this will improve transparency and public awareness of international ties involving Florida municipalities.
The law also extends restrictions into the nonprofit sector. Charitable organizations are now prohibited from accepting donations or support from designated foreign terrorist organizations, reflecting a broader effort to ensure that philanthropic funding sources are not linked to hostile groups.
Local governments and tax collectors are also granted new authority under HB 905. They may revoke business tax receipts for companies operating in Cuba in violation of federal law. The legislation also introduces criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly submit false declarations related to illegal business activity involving Cuba.
Family-related legal arrangements are also addressed in the law. HB 905 prohibits pre-arranged adoption agreements and surrogacy contracts involving citizens or residents of countries of concern, adding another layer of restriction on cross-border legal agreements.
The bill further increases criminal penalties for offenses committed to benefit foreign governments or foreign terrorist organizations. Officials say this change is intended to deter individuals from engaging in activities that could support hostile foreign interests.
Taken together, the legislation represents a wide-ranging expansion of Florida’s efforts to regulate foreign involvement across government, education, business, and civic life. State leaders argue that the measures are necessary to safeguard infrastructure, data, and public institutions from external threats.
Supporters of the law say it strengthens transparency and reduces risk in areas where foreign influence could have long-term consequences for security and governance. Critics, however, have raised concerns in broader national debates about how such restrictions may affect international engagement and economic ties.
For now, Florida continues to position itself as one of the most aggressive states in the country when it comes to limiting foreign influence, with HB 905 becoming the latest addition to a growing body of laws focused on national and state-level security concerns.
