A group of legislators from the southern state is promoting a bill that seeks to ban the implementation of this archaic system at the state level
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State Representative Hillary Cassel, a legislator from Florida who last year switched from the Democratic to the Republican party, introduced bill HB 119 on Wednesday, known as the "No to Shari'a Law Act."
This initiative seeks to prohibit courts, arbitration panels, administrative agencies, or any state entity from basing legal decisions on Islamic law Shari'a or other foreign legal systems if these violate the essential rights protected by the constitutions of the United States and the state of Florida.
The legislative proposal arises in a context of growing religious and political tensions in the United States, exacerbated by the war in Gaza. The Israeli military offensive in response to the terrorist group Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, has caused deep polarization in U.S. politics, with an increase in incidents of antisemitism.
Cassel, who is Jewish, introduced her bill precisely on the second anniversary of that attack, in a gesture that frames the initiative as part of a political and cultural response to the conflicts in the Middle East.
El proyecto fue presentado por la diputada republicana Hillary Cassel, quien recientemente abandonó el Partido Demócrata
Bill HB 119 specifies that any judicial ruling, arbitral decision, or contractual clause that refers to or attempts to apply Shari'a or another foreign law that contradicts essential rights such as due process, equality before the law, freedom of religion, or freedom of expression, will be considered null and void in the state of Florida. In addition, it prohibits courts from transferring civil cases to foreign jurisdictions if this involves applying regulations contrary to constitutional freedoms.
Cassel stated that this measure is preventive, not reactive, and seeks to ensure that "Florida will never submit to foreign laws, including Shari'a, in any form, time, or circumstance." In her statement, she emphasized: "This is free Florida, and I intend to keep it that way." She added that the goal is to protect the state from foreign ideologies that reject freedom and deny essential human rights.
The legislation clarifies that it will not affect religious organizations that handle internal matters according to their own beliefs, nor businesses that voluntarily choose to follow rules of foreign courts. It also defines "foreign law" as any regulation originating outside the United States, including resolutions from international bodies or foreign courts.
El republicano Randy Fine presentó un proyecto similar hace algunos meses
Cassel's initiative bears similarities to a federal bill introduced a month earlier by Congressman Randy Fine, also a Republican from Florida and state legislator, known for his strongly pro-Israel stance. Fine was the first to propose a national law prohibiting the application of Shari'a on U.S. territory, and is known for incendiary comments such as "Bombs Away" in reference to Gaza.
The bill doesn't yet have a version in the Florida Senate, and the legislative session will begin on January 13, 2026. If approved, it would take effect on July 1 of the same year.
