DeSantis Targets CCP With New Expansive Suite Of Bills

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed three bills into law with the aim of combating what he termed thegreatest geopolitical threat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The bills, SB 264, SB 846, and SB 258, will prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing land in the state, bar state colleges and universities and their employees and representatives from accepting any gifts from CCP entities, and require the states Department of Management Services to create a list of prohibited applications owned by foreign principals or foreign countries of concern that present a cybersecurity and data privacy risk.

In a news release, DeSantis said,Florida is taking action to stand against the United States greatest geopolitical threat the Chinese Communist Party. Im proud to sign this legislation to stop the purchase of our farmland and land near our military bases and critical infrastructure by Chinese agents, to stop sensitive digital data from being stored in China, and to stop CCP influence in our education system from grade school to grad school. We are following through on our commitment to crack down on Communist China.

Under SB 264, foreign countries and entities of concern, including the Peoples Republic of China, are prohibited from entering into contracts with governmental entities in the state, while the conveyance of agricultural lands and other interests in real property to foreign principals is also restricted. The legislation will, however, allow Chinese citizens with nontourist visas to acquire single parcels that are smaller than two acres and at least five miles from military installations.

SB 864 will bar state colleges and universities and their employees and representatives from accepting any gifts in their official capacities from a college or university based in a foreign country of concern, while also prohibiting public universities from accepting any grant from or participating in any agreement or partnership with any college or university based in a foreign country unless the partnership is authorized by the Florida Board of Governors or the State Board of Education.

Finally, SB 258 will require government and educational institutions to block access to prohibited applications on all government servers and devices in the state, as well as require public employers to retain the ability to remotely wipe and uninstall these applications, such as TikTok, from governmentissued devices.

The move comes as state lawmakers have passed measures targeting foreign countries of concern, such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.

These bills will help protect Florida from the CCPs agenda and its attempts to target our citizens and our state, said DeSantis.I am proud to have signed these bills into law and am committed to ensuring that Florida remains a leader in the fight against Communism.

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