Overview
- HB 945 cleared the House Budget Committee on a 20-8 vote, its third approval, with the State Affairs Committee set as the final House stop before a floor vote.
- The proposal would create a statewide counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit inside FDLE, starting with a 10-person leadership core by July 1, 2027 and expanding to at least seven regional teams fully staffed by December 30, 2033.
- Rep. Danny Alvarez says any investigation would require a criminal predicate and follow constitutional and warrant requirements, and he has committed to introducing an amendment to address free-speech concerns.
- Civil-liberties organizations and some lawmakers warn the bill’s broad definitions and references to counterintelligence tradecraft risk targeting protected speech, citing parallels to past abuses like COINTELPRO.
- Muslim advocates, including CAIR-Florida, fear disproportionate scrutiny of mosques, and state records show spyware firm Cellebrite is tracking the bill through a registered lobbyist.