| 15 | | - | An act relating to contracting with foreign countries 2 |
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| 16 | | - | of concern; amending s. 287.138, F.S.; revising the 3 |
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| 17 | | - | definition of the term "foreign country of concern"; 4 |
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| 18 | | - | prohibiting governmental entities from entering into 5 |
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| 19 | | - | contracts for services or to purchase certain products 6 |
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| 20 | | - | and from extending or renewing contracts with entities 7 |
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| 21 | | - | with certain connections to foreign countries of 8 |
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| 22 | | - | concern; requiring certain entities that sub mit a bid, 9 |
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| 23 | | - | proposal, or reply to provide goods or services to 10 |
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| 24 | | - | sign an affidavit; amending s. 316.0078, F.S.; 11 |
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| 25 | | - | conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 12 |
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| 26 | | - | amending s. 381.0202, F.S.; prohibiting laboratories 13 |
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| 27 | | - | from using certain operational or research s oftware 14 |
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| 28 | | - | produced in or by a foreign country of concern, a 15 |
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| 29 | | - | state-owned enterprise of a foreign country of 16 |
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| 30 | | - | concern, or a company domiciled within a foreign 17 |
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| 31 | | - | country of concern; defining the term "foreign country 18 |
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| 32 | | - | of concern"; amending s. 408.810, F.S.; providi ng 19 |
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| 33 | | - | certain protections for licensees who fail to obtain 20 |
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| 34 | | - | assurances from a person or an entity that indirectly 21 |
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| 35 | | - | owns a controlling interest in the licensee or 22 |
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| 36 | | - | indirectly holds an interest in certain entities; 23 |
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| 37 | | - | revising and providing definitions; providing an 24 |
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| 38 | | - | effective date. 25 |
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| 15 | + | An act relating to controlling interests in health 2 |
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| 16 | + | care licenses; amending s. 408.810, F.S.; requiring a 3 |
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| 17 | + | licensee to ensure specified information about a 4 |
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| 18 | + | person or entity who possesses a controlling interest; 5 |
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| 19 | + | revising the definitions of the terms "business 6 |
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| 20 | + | relationship" and "foreign country of concern"; 7 |
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| 21 | + | providing an effective date. 8 |
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| 22 | + | 9 |
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| 23 | + | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10 |
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| 24 | + | 11 |
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| 25 | + | Section 1. Subsection (15) of section 408.810, Florida 12 |
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| 26 | + | Statutes, is amended to read: 13 |
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| 27 | + | 408.810 Minimum licensure requirements. —In addition to the 14 |
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| 28 | + | licensure requirements specified in this part, authorizing 15 |
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| 29 | + | statutes, and applicable rules, each applicant and licensee must 16 |
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| 30 | + | comply with the requirements of this section in order to obtain 17 |
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| 31 | + | and maintain a license. 18 |
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| 32 | + | (15)(a) The licensee must ensure that a person or entity 19 |
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| 33 | + | who possesses a direct controlling interest does not directly 20 |
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| 34 | + | hold, either directly or indirectly, regardless of ownership 21 |
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| 35 | + | structure, an interest in an entity that has a business 22 |
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| 36 | + | relationship with a foreign country of concern or that is 23 |
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| 37 | + | subject to s. 287.135. 24 |
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| 38 | + | (b) For purposes of this subsection, the term: 25 |
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| 51 | | - | 26 |
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| 52 | | - | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27 |
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| 53 | | - | 28 |
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| 54 | | - | Section 1. Section 287.138, Florida Statutes, is amended 29 |
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| 55 | | - | to read: 30 |
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| 56 | | - | 287.138 Contracting with entities of foreign countries of 31 |
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| 57 | | - | concern prohibited.— 32 |
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| 58 | | - | (1) As used in this sec tion, the term: 33 |
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| 59 | | - | (a) "Controlling interest" means possession of the power 34 |
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| 60 | | - | to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies 35 |
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| 61 | | - | of a company, whether through ownership of securities, by 36 |
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| 62 | | - | contract, or otherwise. A person or entity that directly or 37 |
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| 63 | | - | indirectly has the right to vote 25 percent or more of the 38 |
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| 64 | | - | voting interests of the company or is entitled to 25 percent or 39 |
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| 65 | | - | more of its profits is presumed to possess a controlling 40 |
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| 66 | | - | interest. 41 |
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| 67 | | - | (b) "Department" means the Department of Management 42 |
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| 68 | | - | Services. 43 |
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| 69 | | - | (c) "Foreign country of concern" means the People's 44 |
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| 70 | | - | Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic 45 |
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| 71 | | - | of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic 46 |
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| 72 | | - | of Cuba, the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, the State of 47 |
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| 73 | | - | Qatar, or the Syrian Arab Republic, including any agency of or 48 |
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| 74 | | - | any other entity of significant control of such foreign country 49 |
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| 75 | | - | of concern. 50 |
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| 76 | | - | |
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| 77 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 78 | | - | |
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| 80 | | - | |
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| 81 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 82 | | - | hb1543-02-c2 |
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| 83 | | - | Page 3 of 9 |
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| 84 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 85 | | - | |
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| 86 | | - | |
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| 87 | | - | |
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| 88 | | - | (d) "Governmental entity" means any state, county, 51 |
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| 89 | | - | district, authority, or municipal officer, department, division, 52 |
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| 90 | | - | board, bureau, commission, or other separate unit of government 53 |
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| 91 | | - | created or established by law including, but not limited to, the 54 |
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| 92 | | - | Commission on Ethics, the Public Service Commission, the Office 55 |
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| 93 | | - | of Public Counsel, and any other public or private agency, 56 |
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| 94 | | - | person, partnership, corporation, or business entity acting on 57 |
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| 95 | | - | behalf of any public agency. 58 |
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| 96 | | - | (2)(a) A governmental entity may not knowingly enter into 59 |
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| 97 | | - | a contract with an entity which would give access to an 60 |
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| 98 | | - | individual's personal identifying information if: 61 |
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| 99 | | - | 1.(a) The entity is owned by the government of a foreign 62 |
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| 100 | | - | country of concern; 63 |
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| 101 | | - | 2.(b) The government of a foreign country of concern has a 64 |
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| 102 | | - | controlling interest in the entity; or 65 |
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| 103 | | - | 3.(c) The entity is organized under the laws of or has its 66 |
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| 104 | | - | principal place of business i n a foreign country of concern. 67 |
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| 105 | | - | (b)(3) Beginning July 1, 2025, a governmental entity may 68 |
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| 106 | | - | not extend or renew a contract with an entity listed in 69 |
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| 107 | | - | paragraph (a) paragraphs (2)(a)-(c) if the contract would give 70 |
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| 108 | | - | such entity access to an individual's personal identifying 71 |
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| 109 | | - | information. 72 |
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| 110 | | - | (3) Beginning October 15, 2025: 73 |
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| 111 | | - | (a) A governmental entity may not enter into a contract 74 |
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| 112 | | - | with an entity for any services or to purchase computers, 75 |
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| 113 | | - | |
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| 114 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 120 | | - | Page 4 of 9 |
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| 121 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 122 | | - | |
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| 123 | | - | |
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| 124 | | - | |
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| 125 | | - | printers, or interoperable videoconferencing devices if: 76 |
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| 126 | | - | 1. The government of a foreign country of concern has any 77 |
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| 127 | | - | ownership interest, directly or indirectly, in the entity, or 78 |
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| 128 | | - | any ownership interest, directly or indirectly, in any 79 |
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| 129 | | - | subsidiary or parent company of the entity; 80 |
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| 130 | | - | 2. The computers, printers, or interoperable 81 |
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| 131 | | - | videoconferencing devices to be provided under the contract are 82 |
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| 132 | | - | being furnished by a third party in which the government of a 83 |
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| 133 | | - | foreign country of concern has any ownership interest, directly 84 |
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| 134 | | - | or indirectly; or 85 |
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| 135 | | - | 3. The entity has its principal place of business in a 86 |
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| 136 | | - | foreign country of concern. 87 |
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| 137 | | - | (b) A governmental entity may not extend or renew a 88 |
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| 138 | | - | contract with an entity listed in paragraph (a). 89 |
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| 139 | | - | (4)(a) Beginning October 15, 2025: January 1, 2024, 90 |
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| 140 | | - | (a) A governmental entity may not accept a bid on, a 91 |
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| 141 | | - | proposal for, or a reply to, or enter into, a contract with an 92 |
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| 142 | | - | entity for goods or services described in paragraph (3)(a), or 93 |
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| 143 | | - | which would grant the entity access to an individual's personal 94 |
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| 144 | | - | identifying information , unless the entity provides the 95 |
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| 145 | | - | governmental entity with a signed an affidavit, signed by an 96 |
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| 146 | | - | officer or representative of the entity under penalty of 97 |
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| 147 | | - | perjury, attesting that the entity does not meet any of the 98 |
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| 148 | | - | criteria in paragraph (2)(a) or paragraph (3)(a) paragraphs 99 |
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| 149 | | - | (2)(a)-(c). 100 |
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| 150 | | - | |
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| 151 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 155 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 156 | | - | hb1543-02-c2 |
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| 157 | | - | Page 5 of 9 |
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| 158 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 159 | | - | |
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| 160 | | - | |
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| 161 | | - | |
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| 162 | | - | (b) Before an entity submits a b id, proposal, or reply to 101 |
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| 163 | | - | provide goods or services to a governmental entity, the entity 102 |
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| 164 | | - | must sign an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, attesting that 103 |
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| 165 | | - | the entity does not meet any of the criteria in paragraph (2)(a) 104 |
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| 166 | | - | or paragraph (3)(a). 105 |
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| 167 | | - | (c)(b) Beginning July 1, 2025, When an entity extends or 106 |
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| 168 | | - | renews a contract with a governmental entity for goods or 107 |
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| 169 | | - | services described in paragraph (3)(a), or which would grant the 108 |
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| 170 | | - | entity access to an individual's personal identifying 109 |
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| 171 | | - | information, the entity must provide the governmental entity 110 |
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| 172 | | - | with a signed an affidavit, signed by an officer or 111 |
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| 173 | | - | representative of the entity under penalty of perjury , attesting 112 |
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| 174 | | - | that the entity does not meet any of the criteria in paragraph 113 |
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| 175 | | - | (2)(a) or paragraph (3)(a) paragraphs (2)(a)-(c). 114 |
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| 176 | | - | (5) The Attorney General may bring a civil action in any 115 |
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| 177 | | - | court of competent jurisdiction against an entity that violates 116 |
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| 178 | | - | this section. Violations of this section may result in: 117 |
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| 179 | | - | (a) A civil penalty equal to twice the amount of the 118 |
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| 180 | | - | contract for which the entity submitted a bid or proposal for, 119 |
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| 181 | | - | replied to, or entered into; 120 |
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| 182 | | - | (b) Ineligibility to enter into, renew, or extend any 121 |
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| 183 | | - | other contract, including any grant agreements, with any 122 |
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| 184 | | - | governmental entity for up to 5 years; 123 |
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| 185 | | - | (c) Ineligibility to receive or r enew any license, 124 |
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| 186 | | - | certification, or credential issued by a governmental entity for 125 |
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| 187 | | - | |
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| 188 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 189 | | - | |
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| 190 | | - | |
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| 191 | | - | |
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| 192 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 193 | | - | hb1543-02-c2 |
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| 194 | | - | Page 6 of 9 |
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| 195 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 196 | | - | |
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| 197 | | - | |
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| 198 | | - | |
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| 199 | | - | up to 5 years; and 126 |
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| 200 | | - | (d) Placement on the suspended vendor list pursuant to s. 127 |
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| 201 | | - | 287.1351. 128 |
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| 202 | | - | (6) Any penalties collected under subsection (5) must be 129 |
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| 203 | | - | deposited into the Genera l Revenue Fund. 130 |
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| 204 | | - | (7) The department shall adopt rules to implement this 131 |
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| 205 | | - | section, including rules establishing the form for the affidavit 132 |
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| 206 | | - | required under subsection (4). 133 |
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| 207 | | - | Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 316.0078, Florida 134 |
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| 208 | | - | Statutes, is amended to read : 135 |
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| 209 | | - | 316.0078 Prohibition on contracting for camera systems of 136 |
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| 210 | | - | vendors of foreign countries of concern. — 137 |
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| 211 | | - | (1) As used in this section, the term terms "controlling 138 |
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| 212 | | - | interest" and "foreign country of concern" has have the same 139 |
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| 213 | | - | meaning meanings as in s. 287.138(1). 140 |
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| 214 | | - | Section 3. Subsection (5) is added to section 381.0202, 141 |
|---|
| 215 | | - | Florida Statutes, to read: 142 |
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| 216 | | - | 381.0202 Laboratory services. — 143 |
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| 217 | | - | (5) The department may not allow in any laboratory under 144 |
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| 218 | | - | this section the use of any operational or research software 145 |
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| 219 | | - | used for genetic sequencing that is produced in or by a foreign 146 |
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| 220 | | - | country of concern, a state -owned enterprise of a foreign 147 |
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| 221 | | - | country of concern, or a company domiciled within a foreign 148 |
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| 222 | | - | country of concern. For purposes of this subsection, the term 149 |
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| 223 | | - | "foreign country of co ncern" means the People's Republic of 150 |
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| 224 | | - | |
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| 225 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 227 | | - | |
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| 228 | | - | |
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| 229 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 230 | | - | hb1543-02-c2 |
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| 231 | | - | Page 7 of 9 |
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| 232 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 233 | | - | |
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| 234 | | - | |
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| 235 | | - | |
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| 236 | | - | China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the 151 |
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| 237 | | - | Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the 152 |
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| 238 | | - | Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, the State of Qatar, or the 153 |
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| 239 | | - | Syrian Arab Republic, in cluding any agency of such foreign 154 |
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| 240 | | - | country of concern. 155 |
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| 241 | | - | Section 4. Subsection (15) of section 408.810, Florida 156 |
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| 242 | | - | Statutes, is amended to read: 157 |
|---|
| 243 | | - | 408.810 Minimum licensure requirements. —In addition to the 158 |
|---|
| 244 | | - | licensure requirements specified in this part, auth orizing 159 |
|---|
| 245 | | - | statutes, and applicable rules, each applicant and licensee must 160 |
|---|
| 246 | | - | comply with the requirements of this section in order to obtain 161 |
|---|
| 247 | | - | and maintain a license. 162 |
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| 248 | | - | (15)(a) The licensee must ensure that a person or an 163 |
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| 249 | | - | entity that who possesses a controlling interest does not hold, 164 |
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| 250 | | - | either directly or indirectly, regardless of ownership 165 |
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| 251 | | - | structure, an interest in an entity that has a business 166 |
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| 252 | | - | relationship with a foreign country of concern or that is 167 |
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| 253 | | - | subject to s. 287.135. 168 |
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| 254 | | - | (b) The failure of a licensee to obtai n assurances from a 169 |
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| 255 | | - | person or an entity that indirectly owns a controlling interest 170 |
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| 256 | | - | in the licensee or indirectly holds an interest in an entity as 171 |
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| 257 | | - | specified in paragraph (a) does not: 172 |
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| 258 | | - | 1. Affect the license or insurability of the licensee; or 173 |
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| 259 | | - | 2. Subject the licensee to civil or criminal liability, 174 |
|---|
| 260 | | - | unless the licensee has actual knowledge that an indirect 175 |
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| 261 | | - | |
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| 262 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 263 | | - | |
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| 264 | | - | |
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| 265 | | - | |
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| 266 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 267 | | - | hb1543-02-c2 |
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| 268 | | - | Page 8 of 9 |
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| 269 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 270 | | - | |
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| 271 | | - | |
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| 272 | | - | |
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| 273 | | - | interest holder is: 176 |
|---|
| 274 | | - | a. A foreign principal from a foreign country of concern; 177 |
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| 275 | | - | and 178 |
|---|
| 276 | | - | b. Not in compliance with the requirements of this 179 |
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| 277 | | - | section. 180 |
|---|
| 278 | | - | (c)(b) For purposes of this subsection, the term: 181 |
|---|
| 279 | | - | 1. "Business relationship" means engaging in commerce in 182 |
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| 280 | | - | any form, which includes including, but not limited to, 183 |
|---|
| 281 | | - | acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, 184 |
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| 282 | | - | leasing, or operating equipm ent, facilities, personnel, 185 |
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| 283 | | - | products, services, personal property, real property, or 186 |
|---|
| 284 | | - | military equipment, or any other apparatus of business or 187 |
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| 285 | | - | commerce. 188 |
|---|
| 286 | | - | 2. "Foreign country of concern" means the People's 189 |
|---|
| 287 | | - | Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Isl amic Republic 190 |
|---|
| 288 | | - | of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic 191 |
|---|
| 289 | | - | of Cuba, the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, the State of 192 |
|---|
| 290 | | - | Qatar, or the Syrian Arab Republic, including any agency of such 193 |
|---|
| 291 | | - | foreign country of concern has the same meaning a s in s. 194 |
|---|
| 292 | | - | 692.201. 195 |
|---|
| 293 | | - | 3. "Foreign principal" has the same meaning as in s. 196 |
|---|
| 294 | | - | 692.201. 197 |
|---|
| 295 | | - | 4. "Indirect interest holder" means a person or an entity 198 |
|---|
| 296 | | - | which, at the time of initial application or renewal, owns less 199 |
|---|
| 297 | | - | than 5 percent of the licensee; owns less than 5 pe rcent in the 200 |
|---|
| 298 | | - | |
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| 299 | | - | CS/CS/HB 1543 2025 |
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| 300 | | - | |
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| 301 | | - | |
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| 302 | | - | |
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| 303 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 305 | | - | Page 9 of 9 |
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| 306 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 307 | | - | |
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| 308 | | - | |
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| 309 | | - | |
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| 310 | | - | management company or other entity that contracts with the 201 |
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| 311 | | - | licensee to manage the provider; or owns equities in a publicly 202 |
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| 312 | | - | traded company that has a controlling interest or noncontrolling 203 |
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| 313 | | - | interest in the licensee. 204 |
|---|
| 314 | | - | 5.3. "Interest" has the sam e meaning as in s. 286.101(1). 205 |
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| 315 | | - | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 206 |
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| 51 | + | 1. "Business relationship" means engaging in commerce i n 26 |
|---|
| 52 | + | any form, which includes including, but not limited to, 27 |
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| 53 | + | acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, 28 |
|---|
| 54 | + | leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, 29 |
|---|
| 55 | + | products, services, personal property, real property, or 30 |
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| 56 | + | military equipment, or any other apparatus of business or 31 |
|---|
| 57 | + | commerce. 32 |
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| 58 | + | 2. "Foreign country of concern" means the People's 33 |
|---|
| 59 | + | Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic 34 |
|---|
| 60 | + | of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic 35 |
|---|
| 61 | + | of Cuba, the Venezuelan re gime of Nicolas Maduro, or the Syrian 36 |
|---|
| 62 | + | Arab Republic, including any agency of such foreign country of 37 |
|---|
| 63 | + | concern has the same meaning as in s. 692.201 . 38 |
|---|
| 64 | + | 3. "Interest" has the same meaning as in s. 286.101(1). 39 |
|---|
| 65 | + | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 40 |
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