The proposed bill aims to enhance immigration enforcement and regulate voting eligibility in Florida by establishing new legal frameworks and amending existing statutes. It introduces a new section, 104.155, making it a felony for non-citizens to willfully vote in elections, with no defenses allowed based on ignorance of citizenship status. The bill also creates the State Board of Immigration Enforcement and the State Immigration Enforcement Council to oversee immigration-related activities, requiring law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Additionally, it establishes mandatory minimum prison terms for "dangerous unauthorized alien offenders," expands definitions related to unauthorized aliens, and enhances penalties for offenses committed by unauthorized aliens, including reclassifying misdemeanors and felonies based on prior convictions.

Furthermore, the bill modifies eligibility criteria for out-of-state fee waivers at state universities, limiting them to citizens or those lawfully present in the U.S., and mandates reevaluation of fee waiver eligibility starting July 1, 2025. It allocates significant funding for the Local Law Enforcement Immigration Grant Program to support local law enforcement agencies in immigration enforcement efforts and establishes guidelines for grant applications. The bill also includes provisions for the collection of data on local compliance with immigration laws and introduces the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program, which allows for the transport of unauthorized aliens under specific conditions. Overall, the legislation seeks to strengthen Florida's immigration enforcement framework while ensuring that victims and witnesses of crimes are protected from undue immigration inquiries.

Statutes affected:
H 1C Filed: 322.02, 322.033, 322.08, 322.121, 322.19, 775.0848, 874.03, 895.02, 908.107, 908.11, 921.0022, 1009.26