Governor DeSantis signs Public Nuisances law

Still from video courtesy the Office of Governor DeSantis | Alachua Chronicle

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

JERUSALEM, Israel – Yesterday in Jerusalem, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 269, a bill that prohibits trespassing on private property to intimidate the residents, among other measures.

Representatives Randy Fine and Mike Caruso traveled to Israel to bring the bill to the governor, which is on an international trade mission. DeSantis also signed a Proclamation commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel while he was there.

The law is intended to address incidents such as antisemitic messages that were projected on TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville last year and antisemitic flyers that were left on Gainesville residents’ driveways last August.

The bill includes the following provisions:

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  • Prohibits a person from intentionally dumping litter onto private property for the purpose of intimidating or threatening the owner, resident, or invitee of such property;
  • Prohibits a person from willfully and maliciously harassing, threatening, or intimidating another person based on the person’s wearing or displaying of any indicia relating to any religious or ethnic heritage;
  • Creates a new prohibition against displaying or projecting, using any medium, an image onto a building, structure, or other property without the written consent of the owner of the building, structure, or property;
  • Creates a new trespass offense if a person who is not authorized, licensed, or invited willfully enters the campus of a state college or university for the purpose of threatening or intimidating another person, and is warned by the institution to depart and refuses to do so; and
  • Prohibits a person from willfully and maliciously interrupting or disturbing any assembly of people met for the purpose of acknowledging the death of an individual.

“In 2019, I had the opportunity here in Israel to sign into law groundbreaking legislation to root out antisemitism from our public education system, establishing Florida as a leader in protecting religious liberty,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Four years later, the threats faced by religious Americans of all faiths have evolved. Through this legislation, we are ensuring that perpetrators who commit acts of antisemitism and target religious groups or individuals will be punished.”

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