Combatting Illegal Immigration; Establishes Office of Secure Florida within DOC; provides duties & responsibilities of office; & provides appropriation. APPROPRIATION: $1,725,423
Postsecondary Out-of-State Fee Waivers; Removes provisions relating to waiver of out-of-state fees for certain students, including students who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes.
Combatting Illegal Immigration; Requires presumption that no conditions of release will secure appearance at trial of unauthorized alien; requires state attorney or court to move for pretrial detention if court makes certain determinations; authorizes defendants to rebut presumption.
HB 7A increases penalties for individuals who commit new crimes in Florida after being previously convicted under federal law for unlawful reentry (8 U.S.C. § 1326). It reclassifies subsequent offenses: for example, a second-degree misdemeanor becomes a first-degree misdemeanor, a first-degree misdemeanor becomes a third-degree felony, and a first-degree felony becomes a life felony. The bill directly affects people with prior convictions for illegal reentry who commit new crimes in Florida. The legislation was filed in January 2025 but died in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee without further action.
Combatting Illegal Immigration; Requiring law enforcement agencies to support enforcement of federal immigration law; requires, rather than authorizing, law enforcement agencies to transport certain persons securely to federal facility in this state or to another point of transfer to federal custody outside jurisdiction of law enforcement agency; specifies that certain provisions do not require state entity, local governmental entity, or law enforcement agency to provide federal immigration agency with information related to victim of or witness to criminal offense that occurred in this state & for which there is ongoing investigation or prosecution.
Petition Process; Revising provisions related to constitutional amendments, signature verifications, filing fees, candidate petitions, citizen initiatives, fiscal impact, and petition forms.
Combatting Illegal Immigration; Provides that specified persons & entities are immune from liability for certain actions; creates civil cause of action for victims of crime committed by aliens against any person who knowingly & willfully aided or assisted alien in entering state; provides criminal penalties for adult aliens who knowingly enter or attempt to enter state after entering US by eluding or avoiding examination or inspection by immigration officers; requires arresting law enforcement agency to notify certain entities; provides criminal penalties for an adult alien who, after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed or having departed US thereafter enters, attempts to enter, or is at any time found in this state; provides criminal penalties for persons who knowingly & willfully assist certain aliens who illegally entered or reentered US; provides affirmative defenses; authorizes defendant who is an alien to have any term of defendant's probationary sentence converted to administrative probation by DOC; requires department to be responsible for coordinating with defendant to arrange transportation; authorizes public funds to be used to procure transportation; requires court to verify certain information in hearing before defendant's departure from US.
Combatting Illegal Immigration; Revises oath person subscribes to upon registering to vote; provides criminal penalties for unauthorized aliens who willfully swear or affirm to any oath or affirmation in connection with or arising out of voting or elections & for persons who have knowledge that such registrant is unauthorized alien; provides criminal penalties for unauthorized aliens who willfully submit false voter registration information & for persons who have knowledge that such registrant is unauthorized alien; provides criminal penalties for unauthorized aliens who, knowing that they are not qualified electors, willfully vote at any election & for persons who aid or solicit another person who is unauthorized alien to such action.
Combatting Illegal Immigration; Requires each state & county law enforcement agency, & any other law enforcement agency with more than 25 sworn or certified law enforcement officers, to enter into written agreement with United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement to participate in certain immigration program; requires all state & county law enforcement agencies, & any other law enforcement agency with more than 25 sworn or certified law enforcement officers, to ensure at least certain percent of their sworn law enforcement officers are available to perform or exercise powers, privileges, or duties of immigration officer; authorizes Division of Emergency Management, in coordination with State Immigration Enforcement Officer, to adopt rules; creates Unauthorized Alien Transport Program within division; specifies that program is to be run by State Immigration Enforcement Officer; requires National Guard & State Guard to assist State Immigration Enforcement Officer in implementation of program; authorizes division, in coordination with State Immigration Enforcement Officer, to adopt rules; provides that all payments made pursuant to specified provisions are deemed approved; removes provisions relating to Unauthorized Alien Transport Program; provides appropriation. APPROPRIATION: $3,000,000
Combatting Illegal Immigration; Requiring each state and county law enforcement agency, and any other law enforcement agency with more than 25 sworn or certified law enforcement officers, to enter into a written agreement with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in a certain immigration program; creating the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program within the Division of Emergency Management, etc. APPROPRIATION: $3,000,000
Marijuana Products; Authorizing certain qualified patients to apply to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for a certificate to cultivate up to two cannabis plants for personal consumption; requiring an applicant to provide certain documentation if he or she is leasing a residence; providing that no more than two cannabis plants may be cultivated at a single residence regardless of the number of eligible qualified patients who reside there; providing conditions for the manufacture, delivery, holding, offering for sale, distribution, and sale of hemp extract; prohibiting businesses and food establishments from possessing hemp extract products that are attractive to children or from being located within a specified distance of certain properties, etc. APPROPRIATION: $2,000,000
HB 71, if enacted, would prohibit unauthorized aliens (defined as individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. under federal immigration law) from filing civil lawsuits in Florida courts. The bill directly affects non-citizens in Florida who lack legal immigration status, barring them from initiating any civil legal action, such as personal injury or contract claims. Key provisions include defining "unauthorized alien" to align with federal immigration statutes and setting an effective date of July 1, 2025. The bill does not specify exceptions or apply to criminal cases, focusing solely on civil litigation access. (Note: The bill was withdrawn prior to introduction on January 2, 2025.)
