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SB 1712FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
High Impact

Creation of a Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit

Original title: Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit

January 9, 2026

Companion · HB 945same policy, House version
law enforcementcounterterrorismnational securitystate governmentintelligencet

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently Died in Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

6 actions
  1. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    Now in Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
  2. Feb 11, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable by Criminal Justice; YEAS 7 NAYS 1
  3. Feb 6, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 02/11/26, 3:00 pm, 37 Senate Building
  4. Jan 22, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  5. Jan 16, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Fiscal Policy
  6. Jan 9, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill creates a permanent, state-funded intelligence infrastructure that will operate alongside regional security task forces, requiring ongoing annual budget appropriations for specialized personnel and equipment.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Law Enforcement

The department is mandated to create, staff, and administer the new unit and its regional teams.

regional domestic security task force

Each task force will have a team from the new unit assigned to and aligned with it.

What changed

Current stage: Died in Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill mandates the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to establish a new specialized unit focused on identifying and neutralizing domestic and foreign security threats. The unit will be composed of at least seven regional teams, with full staffing required by the end of 2033.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

The bill creates a permanent, state-funded intelligence infrastructure that will operate alongside regional security task forces, requiring ongoing annual budget appropriations for specialized personnel and equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary goal of the new unit?
The unit's goal is to detect, identify, neutralize, and exploit threats from adversary intelligence entities, terrorists, insider threats, and foreign adversaries.
Who can be hired for these teams?
Members must have formal training or experience in U.S. government intelligence, military service, or law enforcement, or at least 3 years of active experience in the field.
When will this unit be fully operational?
The bill requires the department to request funding to achieve full staffing no later than December 30, 2033.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededhouse2/11/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

9

Yes

7

No

2

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of State Intelligence Capabilities

The bill represents a shift toward state-level counterintelligence operations, which are traditionally handled by federal agencies.

Department of Law EnforcementStatewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit

Connected Entities

organizationDepartment of Public Safety“The unit will be established within this department.”Map →
dollar_amount37“Associated with the Senate Building location.”Map →
otherFiscal Policy“The bill was also referred to this committee.”Map →
locationSenate Building“The committee meeting was held at this location.”Map →
otherAppropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice“The bill was subsequently referred to this committee.”Map →
otherCriminal Justice“The bill was initially referred to this committee.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy65
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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