Senate rewrites House foreign influence bill, retains surrogacy restrictions

The Senate approved a rewrite of a House proposal limiting the influence of hostile foreign governments, while keeping controversial restrictions on surrogacy and adoption agreements involving foreign citizens from adversarial nations.

On a 28–11 vote, Senators passed HB 905, adopting a delete-all amendment by Fort Pierce Republican state Sen. Erin Grall that replaces the underlying bill language with language from the Senate bill (SB 1178), while preserving some provisions previously added in the House. The legislation, dubbed the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act, targets governments classified in Florida law as “foreign countries of concern,” including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela under the Nicolás Maduro regime and Syria.

HB 905 was carried through the House by Fort Myers Republican state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka. Grall told Senators Thursday that the proposal expands ethics restrictions and transparency requirements aimed at preventing foreign governments, or their proxies, from influencing Florida officials and institutions.

The amendment also authorizes tax collectors and local governments to revoke or refuse to renew business tax receipts for companies doing business with Cuba in violation of federal law, restricts government participation in sister-city relationships with foreign countries of concern, and requires the Department of State to publish a public list of such international partnerships. Existing sister-city agreements involving those nations would terminate on July 1.

The measure would also repeal the Florida-China Institute, a state linkage program connecting Florida universities with Chinese institutions, and eliminate a policy that allowed a limited number of students participating in linkage programs to receive in-state tuition. Another provision reclassifies criminal offenses to benefit a foreign government or a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The measure also includes language that bans preplanned adoption agreements or gestational surrogacy contracts if the surrogate or commissioning parents are citizens or residents of a foreign country of concern.

Boca Raton Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky criticized the reproductive policy language, stating lawmakers had little opportunity to evaluate its implications.

“We had a Committee, there happened to be a lobbyist there who works in this area, so he spoke a little bit, but we had zero testimony from any experts, we didn’t have an opportunity to understand the depth and the complexity of surrogacy agreements,” Polsky said.

Polsky said issues involving surrogacy and adoption policy deserved a more thorough legislative review rather than being added to a broader national security measure.

“It’s just very concerning that it was just kind of stuck in there because it’s a philosophical issue that folks are going through,” she said. “If there are issues in this area, we should flesh them out in the proper way.”

Grall defended the provision, arguing international surrogacy arrangements are increasingly being used by foreign nationals seeking to secure U.S. citizenship for children born through surrogate pregnancies.

“The market has grown so sophisticated that Chinese parents can have a child through surrogacy without ever stepping foot in the U.S.,” she said, citing a Wall Street Journal article. “The owner of a fertility clinic network across the U.S. said clients are commissioning dozens or even hundreds of children to create dynasties.”

She warned that some children could ultimately become the responsibility of American social systems if their parents from across the seas abandon them after birth.

“The addition of this to this bill ensures that we will take the first step to making sure that Florida is not a surrogacy tourist destination for our adversaries,” Grall said.

The Senate’s adoption of the strike-all amendment sends the rewritten HB 905 back to the House. If ultimately approved by both chambers and signed by the Governor, the measure would take effect July 1.