Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 766
By the Committee on Ethics and Elections; and Senator Burgess
582-03065-25 2025766c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the registration of agents and
3 organizations associated with foreign countries of
4 concern; creating s. 106.031, F.S.; defining terms;
5 requiring agents of foreign countries of concern and
6 foreign-supported political organizations to register
7 with the Division of Elections within a specified
8 timeframe; requiring the registration of an agent of a
9 foreign country of concern be signed under oath;
10 requiring the division to create registration forms;
11 providing requirements for such forms; requiring
12 periodic updates by agents and organizations;
13 providing penalties for violations; providing an
14 effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 106.031, Florida Statutes, is created to
19 read:
20 106.031 Registration of agents and organizations associated
21 with foreign nations.—
22 (1) For purposes of this section, the term:
23 (a) “Address” includes any address, no matter where
24 located, inside or outside of the United States.
25 (b) “Agent of a foreign country of concern” means a person:
26 1. Who acts as an agent, an employee, a representative, or
27 a servant, or who otherwise acts at the order, at the request,
28 or under the direction or control, of a foreign country of
29 concern;
30 2. Whose actions are financed, in whole or in part, by a
31 foreign country of concern; and
32 3. Who engages in political activity.
33 (c) “Foreign country of concern” has the same meaning as in
34 s. 288.860.
35 (d) “Foreign-supported political organization” means a
36 political party or a domestic partnership, an association, a
37 corporation, an organization, or any other business entity that
38 has, within the past 5 calendar years, received money or other
39 things of value from a foreign country of concern or an agent of
40 a foreign country of concern and that engages in political
41 activity.
42 (e) “Payment” includes compensation and disbursement made
43 in any form, including, but not limited to, contributions,
44 income, money, tangible property, and intangible property.
45 (f) “Political activity” means an activity that is
46 performed to:
47 1. Influence an agency, a public official, or a local
48 governmental entity;
49 2. Influence the public in creating, adopting, or changing
50 state laws or government policies;
51 3. Support or oppose a candidate for office;
52 4. Influence the outcome of an election; or
53 5. Support or oppose any issue.
54 (2)(a) A person who becomes an agent of a foreign country
55 of concern must, within 10 days after becoming such an agent,
56 register with the division. The registration must be signed
57 under oath.
58 (b) The division shall create a form for the registration
59 required under paragraph (a). Such form must, at a minimum,
60 require the following information:
61 1. The registrant’s name.
62 2. The address of the registrant’s primary residence and
63 all other addresses associated with the registrant.
64 3. The name and address of the registrant’s principal place
65 of business.
66 4. A detailed statement describing the nature of the
67 registrant’s business.
68 5. The name of each foreign country of concern for whom the
69 registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to act, or has
70 agreed to act.
71 6. A detailed statement describing the nature of the work
72 and the character of the business or other activities of each
73 foreign country of concern identified in subparagraph 5.
74 7. A statement detailing each time the registrant received
75 a payment from a foreign country of concern identified in
76 subparagraph 5. within the previous 60 days. The statement must
77 identify the amount of the payment and the nature of such
78 payment.
79 8. The total amount of such payments the registrant has
80 received within the previous 60 days from a foreign country of
81 concern identified in subparagraph 5.
82 9. A detailed statement of every activity the registrant,
83 or a person on behalf of the registrant, is performing, has
84 performed, or has agreed to perform on behalf of a foreign
85 country of concern identified in subparagraph 5.
86 10. If the registrant is also engaged in political activity
87 on behalf of a person who is not associated with a foreign
88 country of concern but who is an agent of a foreign country of
89 concern, the registrant must include the following information:
90 a. The name, employer, business and residence addresses,
91 and, if applicable, nationality of such person.
92 b. A detailed statement of all activities the registrant,
93 or a person on behalf of the registrant, is performing, has
94 performed, or has agreed to perform on behalf of such person.
95 c. A statement detailing each time the registrant received
96 a payment from such person within the previous 60 days. The
97 statement must identify the amount of the payment and the nature
98 of such payment.
99 11. A detailed statement of the payments made by the
100 registrant during the previous 60 days in connection with
101 actions taken by the registrant as an agent of, on behalf of, or
102 in furtherance of the goals of a foreign country of concern or a
103 person identified in subparagraph 10.
104 12. A detailed statement of any payments made by the
105 registrant during the previous 60 days related to any political
106 activity.
107 (c) A registrant must update the information required by
108 paragraph (b) at least every 90 days.
109 (d) A person must file as an agent of a foreign country of
110 concern for any period of time he or she was engaged in such
111 position.
112 (3)(a) On or before January 1, 2026, each foreign-supported
113 political organization must register with the division.
114 (b) The division shall create a form for the registration
115 required under paragraph (a). Such form must, at a minimum,
116 require the following information:
117 1. The organization’s name and mailing address and the
118 address of any physical office.
119 2. The names and titles of all officers or directors of the
120 organization.
121 3. The address of each person identified in subparagraph 2.
122 4. A detailed statement of any payment made by the
123 organization that would constitute political activity during the
124 previous calendar year.
125 5. A detailed statement of any payment made to, or received
126 by, the organization from a foreign country of concern or an
127 agent of a foreign country of concern during the preceding
128 calendar year.
129 (c) An organization must update the information required by
130 paragraph (b) at least every 90 days.
131 (4) Upon a finding by the Florida Elections Commission of a
132 violation of this section, in addition to the remedies provided
133 in ss. 106.265 and 106.27, an organization from a foreign
134 country of concern or an agent of a foreign country of concern
135 may be liable for the following penalties:
136 (a) For any violation, a fine of up to $500 per violation.
137 (b) For any willful or repeated violation, a fine of up to
138 $2,000 per violation.
139 (c) For any willful or repeated violation in which the
140 foreign country of concern is a hostile foreign country of
141 concern, a fine of up to $10,000 per violation and a temporary
142 or permanent ban from future registration.
143 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.