Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 766
Ì321330aÎ321330
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
03/31/2025 .
.
.
.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The Committee on Ethics and Elections (Burgess) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 106.031, Florida Statutes, is created to
6 read:
7 106.031 Registration of agents and organizations associated
8 with foreign nations.—
9 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
10 (a) “Address” includes any address, no matter where
11 located, inside or outside of the United States.
12 (b) “Agent of a foreign country of concern” means a person:
13 1. Who acts as an agent, an employee, a representative, or
14 a servant, or who otherwise acts at the order, at the request,
15 or under the direction or control, of a foreign country of
16 concern;
17 2. Whose actions are financed, in whole or in part, by a
18 foreign country of concern; and
19 3. Who engages in political activity.
20 (c) “Foreign country of concern” has the same meaning as in
21 s. 288.860.
22 (d) “Foreign-supported political organization” means a
23 political party or a domestic partnership, an association, a
24 corporation, an organization, or any other business entity that
25 has, within the past 5 calendar years, received money or other
26 things of value from a foreign country of concern or an agent of
27 a foreign country of concern and that engages in political
28 activity.
29 (e) “Payment” includes compensation and disbursement made
30 in any form, including, but not limited to, contributions,
31 income, money, tangible property, and intangible property.
32 (f) “Political activity” means an activity that is
33 performed to:
34 1. Influence an agency, a public official, or a local
35 governmental entity;
36 2. Influence the public in creating, adopting, or changing
37 state laws or government policies;
38 3. Support or oppose a candidate for office;
39 4. Influence the outcome of an election; or
40 5. Support or oppose any issue.
41 (2)(a) A person who becomes an agent of a foreign country
42 of concern must, within 10 days after becoming such an agent,
43 register with the division. The registration must be signed
44 under oath.
45 (b) The division shall create a form for the registration
46 required under paragraph (a). Such form must, at a minimum,
47 require the following information:
48 1. The registrant’s name.
49 2. The address of the registrant’s primary residence and
50 all other addresses associated with the registrant.
51 3. The name and address of the registrant’s principal place
52 of business.
53 4. A detailed statement describing the nature of the
54 registrant’s business.
55 5. The name of each foreign country of concern for whom the
56 registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to act, or has
57 agreed to act.
58 6. A detailed statement describing the nature of the work
59 and the character of the business or other activities of each
60 foreign country of concern identified in subparagraph 5.
61 7. A statement detailing each time the registrant received
62 a payment from a foreign country of concern identified in
63 subparagraph 5. within the previous 60 days. The statement must
64 identify the amount of the payment and the nature of such
65 payment.
66 8. The total amount of such payments the registrant has
67 received within the previous 60 days from a foreign country of
68 concern identified in subparagraph 5.
69 9. A detailed statement of every activity the registrant,
70 or a person on behalf of the registrant, is performing, has
71 performed, or has agreed to perform on behalf of a foreign
72 country of concern identified in subparagraph 5.
73 10. If the registrant is also engaged in political activity
74 on behalf of a person who is not associated with a foreign
75 country of concern but who is an agent of a foreign country of
76 concern, the registrant must include the following information:
77 a. The name, employer, business and residence addresses,
78 and, if applicable, nationality of such person.
79 b. A detailed statement of all activities the registrant,
80 or a person on behalf of the registrant, is performing, has
81 performed, or has agreed to perform on behalf of such person.
82 c. A statement detailing each time the registrant received
83 a payment from such person within the previous 60 days. The
84 statement must identify the amount of the payment and the nature
85 of such payment.
86 11. A detailed statement of the payments made by the
87 registrant during the previous 60 days in connection with
88 actions taken by the registrant as an agent of, on behalf of, or
89 in furtherance of the goals of a foreign country of concern or a
90 person identified in subparagraph 10.
91 12. A detailed statement of any payments made by the
92 registrant during the previous 60 days related to any political
93 activity.
94 (c) A registrant must update the information required by
95 paragraph (b) at least every 90 days.
96 (d) A person must file as an agent of a foreign country of
97 concern for any period of time he or she was engaged in such
98 position.
99 (3)(a) On or before January 1, 2026, each foreign-supported
100 political organization must register with the division.
101 (b) The division shall create a form for the registration
102 required under paragraph (a). Such form must, at a minimum,
103 require the following information:
104 1. The organization’s name and mailing address and the
105 address of any physical office.
106 2. The names and titles of all officers or directors of the
107 organization.
108 3. The address of each person identified in subparagraph 2.
109 4. A detailed statement of any payment made by the
110 organization that would constitute political activity during the
111 previous calendar year.
112 5. A detailed statement of any payment made to, or received
113 by, the organization from a foreign country of concern or an
114 agent of a foreign country of concern during the preceding
115 calendar year.
116 (c) An organization must update the information required by
117 paragraph (b) at least every 90 days.
118 (4) Upon a finding by the Florida Elections Commission of a
119 violation of this section, in addition to the remedies provided
120 in ss. 106.265 and 106.27, an organization from a foreign
121 country of concern or an agent of a foreign country of concern
122 may be liable for the following penalties:
123 (a) For any violation, a fine of up to $500 per violation.
124 (b) For any willful or repeated violation, a fine of up to
125 $2,000 per violation.
126 (c) For any willful or repeated violation in which the
127 foreign country of concern is a hostile foreign country of
128 concern, a fine of up to $10,000 per violation and a temporary
129 or permanent ban from future registration.
130 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
131
132 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
133 And the title is amended as follows:
134 Delete everything before the enacting clause
135 and insert:
136 A bill to be entitled
137 An act relating to the registration of agents and
138 organizations associated with foreign countries of
139 concern; creating s. 106.031, F.S.; defining terms;
140 requiring agents of foreign countries of concern and
141 foreign-supported political organizations to register
142 with the Division of Elections within a specified
143 timeframe; requiring the registration of an agent of a
144 foreign country of concern be signed under oath;
145 requiring the division to create registration forms;
146 providing requirements for such forms; requiring
147 periodic updates by agents and organizations;
148 providing penalties for violations; providing an
149 effective date.