The proposed bill aims to enhance immigration enforcement and regulate voting eligibility in Florida by establishing new legal provisions and modifying existing laws. It introduces a felony offense for noncitizens who willfully vote in elections, eliminating defenses based on ignorance of citizenship status. The bill also defines "valid passport" and specifies acceptable documents for obtaining driver licenses and identification cards. It prohibits the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from issuing licenses to unauthorized aliens and requires new U.S. citizens to obtain replacement documents within a specified timeframe. Additionally, the bill creates the State Board of Immigration Enforcement and the State Immigration Enforcement Council to oversee immigration-related matters and grant programs for local law enforcement.

Furthermore, the bill implements a mandatory minimum sentencing framework for "dangerous unauthorized alien offenders," particularly those involved in criminal gangs, and enhances penalties for offenses committed by unauthorized aliens. It modifies criteria for pretrial detention, emphasizing the need for detention of individuals posing a flight risk due to their immigration status. The bill also revises the definition of "sanctuary policy" to require law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and establishes the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program to facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens at the request of federal authorities. Additionally, it changes eligibility criteria for out-of-state fee waivers at state universities, limiting them to citizens or lawfully present students who have attended a Florida secondary school for three consecutive years, thereby removing previous provisions for undocumented students.

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