Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 768
       
       
        
       By Senator Calatayud
       
       
       
       
       
       38-01085A-25                                           2025768__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to controlling business interests by
    3         persons with ties to foreign countries of concern;
    4         amending s. 408.810, F.S.; revising minimum health
    5         care provider licensure requirements relating to
    6         persons or entities possessing a controlling interest
    7         in the licensee; defining the term “controlling
    8         interest”; revising the definition of the term
    9         “foreign country of concern”; providing an effective
   10         date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (15) of section 408.810, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         408.810 Minimum licensure requirements.—In addition to the
   17  licensure requirements specified in this part, authorizing
   18  statutes, and applicable rules, each applicant and licensee must
   19  comply with the requirements of this section in order to obtain
   20  and maintain a license.
   21         (15)(a) The licensee must make reasonable efforts to ensure
   22  that a person or entity who possesses a controlling interest
   23  does not hold, either directly or indirectly, regardless of
   24  ownership structure, an interest in an entity that has a
   25  business relationship with a foreign country of concern or that
   26  is subject to s. 287.135.
   27         (b) For purposes of this subsection, the term:
   28         1. “Business relationship” means engaging in commerce in
   29  any form, including, but not limited to, acquiring, developing,
   30  maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating
   31  equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal
   32  property, real property, military equipment, or any other
   33  apparatus of business or commerce.
   34         2. “Controlling interest” has the same meaning as in s.
   35  408.803, but is limited to persons or entities that have a
   36  direct controlling interest in the licensee.
   37         3. “Foreign country of concern” means the People’s Republic
   38  of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran,
   39  the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba,
   40  the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro, or the Syrian Arab
   41  Republic, including any agency of such foreign country of
   42  concern has the same meaning as in s. 692.201.
   43         4.3. “Interest” has the same meaning as in s. 286.101(1).
   44         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.