On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bills SB 264, SB 846, and SB 258 into law, which would block Chinese citizens from being allowed to purchase land in his state.
In a news release following the signing, it was noted that DeSantis had called for a legislature that would back the state’s efforts to deal with corporate espionage from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its agents.
Specifically, SB 264, referred to as Interests of Foreign Countries, is going to block people connected to the CCP and the CCP itself from being able to buy agricultural lands and other “real property” interests. Fox Florida affiliate WTVT, stated that according to this legislation, Chinese citizens with non tourist visas would be able to buy single parcels that are less than 2 acres and are more than 5 miles away from military installations.
SB 864, referred to as Agreements of Educational Entities with Foreign Entities, is also going to block higher education institutions, that is state colleges, universities, and their employees from accepting gifts from “a college or university based in a foreign country of concern.” Any partnership with a university or college in a foreign country would also need to be authorized by the Florida Board of Governors or the State Board of Education.
SB 258 would require the state’s Department of Management Services “to create a list of prohibited applications owned by a foreign principal or foreign countries of concern, including China” in order to mitigate cybersecurity risks.
