Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1712 By Senator Martin 33-00715-26 20261712__ Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to the Statewide Counterintelligence 2 and Counterterrorism Unit; creating s. 943.0316, F.S.; 3 providing legislative intent; defining the term 4 “adversary intelligence entity”; requiring the 5 Department of Law Enforcement to establish and 6 administer a Statewide Counterintelligence and 7 Counterterrorism Unit at a specified location; 8 requiring that a team from the unit be assigned to and 9 aligned with each regional domestic security task 10 force; specifying unit duties; requiring the 11 department to create a team by a specified date to 12 serve as the initial leadership and organizational 13 core of the full unit; requiring the department to 14 establish a statewide unit housed in a specified 15 location; requiring that the unit be composed of a 16 specified number of teams; requiring the department to 17 annually request a certain number of positions and 18 amount of funding for each position in order to 19 achieve full staffing by a specified date; specifying 20 team tasks, composition, and experience requirements; 21 providing an effective date. 22 23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24 25

Section

Section 943.0316, Florida Statutes, is created 26 to read: 27 943.0316 Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism 28 Unit.— 29 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1712 33-00715-26 20261712__ Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a 30 dedicated counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit whose 31 primary goal is to conduct statewide counterintelligence and 32 counterterrorism activities to detect, identify, neutralize, and 33 exploit adversary intelligence entities, international and 34 domestic terrorists, insider threats, corporate threats, and 35 other foreign adversaries to protect this state and the United 36 States of America. 37

(2) As used in this section, the term “adversary 38 intelligence entity” includes, but is not limited to, any 39 national, foreign, multinational, friendly, competitor, 40 opponent, adversary, or recognized enemy government or 41 nongovernmental organization, company, business, corporation, 42 consortium, group, agency, cell, terrorist, insurgent, guerrilla 43 entity, or person whose demonstrated actions, views, or opinions 44 are a threat or are inimical to the interests of this state and 45 the United States of America. 46

(3) The Department of Law Enforcement shall establish and 47 administer a Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism 48 Unit housed at the department’s regional operational center, 49 with a team from the unit assigned to and aligned with each 50 regional domestic security task force established under s. 51 943.0312.

The unit shall identify threats by analyzing patterns 52 of life, gathering actionable intelligence, and formulating 53 effective plans of action, and by executing arrests or by 54 revealing its intent to compel a response using all 55 counterintelligence and counterterrorism tradecraft necessary to 56 protect the state from adversary intelligence entities.

The unit 57 may conduct direct action missions on its own against a threat 58 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1712 33-00715-26 20261712__ Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. or may incorporate with or into other units to counteract and 59 stop identifiable threats. 60

(4) The department shall: 61 (

a) Create a 10-person team by July 1, 2027, whose main 62 purpose is to serve as the initial leadership and organizational 63 core of the full unit; 64 (

b) Establish a statewide unit, housed at the department’s 65 regional operational center which must be composed of at least 66 seven teams, with a team being assigned to each regional 67 domestic security task force; and 68 (

c) Each fiscal year, request the appropriate number of 69 positions and funding required for each position in order to be 70 fully staffed no later than December 30, 2033. 71 (5)(

a) Each team shall perform tasks in support of the 72 state’s domestic security mission, including, but not limited 73 to, providing technical operations to insider threat 74 investigations and assigning team officers to safeguard the 75 state from adversary intelligence entities by using 76 counterintelligence to detect, identify, assess, and counteract 77 threats posed by such entities. 78 (

b) Each team must, at a minimum, be composed of all of the 79 following: 80 1. A team leader who is an assistant special agent in 81 charge; 82 2. A facility security officer who is a special agent 83 supervisor with counterintelligence experience, to be assigned 84 four intelligence analysts; and 85 3.

A deputy team leader who is a special agent supervisor, 86 to be assigned six counterintelligence agents, one of whom must 87 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1712 33-00715-26 20261712__ Page 4 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. be a regional federal liaison officer, one of whom must be a 88 regional state liaison officer, and one of whom must be a local 89 liaison officer. 90 (

c) Each team member must: 91 1. Have been a member of or have received formal training 92 in any United States government agency, have served as a United 93 States servicemember, or have experience with any law 94 enforcement agency as an officer, agent, analyst, or operative 95 serving in intelligence, counterintelligence, or 96 counterterrorism; or 97 2. Have at least 3 years of experience of actively working 98 in the fields of intelligence, counterintelligence, or 99 counterterrorism. 100

Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 101