Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a trio of bills Monday designed to stem the influence of the Chinese Communist Party, including a ban on Chinese citizens purchasing farmland in the Sunshine State.
“Florida is taking action to stand against the United States’ greatest geopolitical threat —the Chinese Communist Party,” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) said in a statement Monday.
“I’m 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.”
The bills DeSantis signed include SB 264, Interests of Foreign Countries; SB 846, Agreements of Educational Entities with Foreign Entities, and SB 258, Prohibited Applications on Government-issued Devices.
SB 264 “restricts conveyances of agricultural lands and other interests in real property to foreign principals.” In addition, it ensures electronic health records are physically stored in the continental U.S., U.S. territories, or Canada.
Chinese citizens with non-tourist visas would be allowed to acquire single parcels under two acres that are at least five miles from military installations, WTVJ reported.
“Food security is national security, and we have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply,” said Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson in a statement.
“China and other hostile foreign nations control hundreds of thousands of acres of critical agricultural lands in the U.S., leaving our food supply and our national security interests at risk. Restricting China and other hostile foreign nations from controlling Florida’s agricultural land and lands near critical infrastructure facilities protects our state, provides long-term stability, and preserves our economic freedom,” Commissioner Simpson also said.
SB 846 prohibits state colleges and universities and their employees from accepting gifts or grants from any “foreign country of concern.” It also bars private schools owned or controlled by those countries from participating in the state’s scholarship programs.
SB 258 requires government and educational institutions to block access to prohibited apps that present a cybersecurity risk, including TikTok. It also requires public employers to retain the ability to remotely wipe and uninstall the apps.
Watch video of Gov. DeSantis signing the legislation at a press conference in Brooksville, Florida, below.
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