Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to ban Sharia law and combat terrorism.
Governor DeSantis signed HB 1471, legislation strengthening protections against the application of foreign and religious laws, including Sharia law, that violate constitutional rights and establishing new safeguards against terrorist organizations operating in Florida.
“To uphold the rule of law, our state must operate under one legal system, the Constitution must remain the law of the land, and we must defend our institutions from those who would harm us, especially terrorist organizations that seek to infiltrate and subvert our education system,” said Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. “HB 1471 reinforces these principles in Florida, and I was proud to sign it into law today.”
Florida has taken a consistent approach to protecting its institutions and residents from foreign influence and emerging threats. In December, Governor DeSantis signed an executive order directing state agencies to take all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activity by terrorist organizations, including denying contracts, funding, and other benefits to those providing material support. The state has also strengthened oversight of foreign influence in education, prohibited partnerships with foreign adversaries tied to state institutions, and expanded law enforcement tools to respond to evolving threats.
HB 1471 reinforces that Florida courts may not apply or enforce foreign or religious law if doing so would violate constitutional rights. The legislation also blocks foreign judgments, contracts, or legal provisions that attempt to bypass those protections.
The bill strengthens Florida’s counterterrorism framework by authorizing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Chief of Domestic Security to recommend the designation of domestic terrorist organizations. It also ensures that foreign terrorist organizations recognized at the federal level can be enforced at the state level. Once designated, these organizations are subject to strict prohibitions, including bans on public funding and support, and individuals who provide material support face significant criminal penalties.
Republicans said the legislation increases accountability in education by prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds to support or promote terrorist organizations. Institutions that violate these provisions may face loss of state funding, and students who promote terrorist violence may face disciplinary action.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, condemned the Florida legislature’s passage of the legislation and called it “draconian” and “unconstitutional.” CAIR-Florida also condemned the insertion of “blatantly unconstitutional” provisions that purport to ban courts from ever upholding “sharia law,” even though courts can and sometimes must uphold last wills and testaments, burial instructions, private contracts, and arbitration decisions based on religious tradition.
“By empowering the Governor’s cabinet with new powers to designate his political opponents as terrorists without due process using secret evidence, these bills flout the basic notions of justice that all Americans expect from their government,” CAIR-Florida Interim Executive Director Hiba Rahim stated.
Governor DeSantis said that HB 1471 builds on Florida’s ongoing efforts to ensure that its courts operate under one system of law, its institutions remain free from harmful foreign influence, and its communities are protected from threats to public safety.
