Florida lawmakers approved legislation granting Gov. Ron DeSantis broad authority to designate domestic groups as "terrorist organizations," a move critics say could be used to target campus activists and organizations linked to political protests.
The Florida House passed HB 1471 along party lines Thursday, sending the bill to DeSantis' desk. The measure, proposed by the governor's office, allows the Florida Department of Law Enforcement—an agency that reports to the governor—to classify groups as domestic terrorist organizations if they are deemed to engage in "terrorist activity" and pose an "ongoing threat" to security. Neither the group nor its members must be charged with a crime for the designation.
