DeSantis signs bills on antisemitism, school security

(JNS) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills on Monday geared to protect Jewish residents in the state.

HB 187, Antisemitism, which went into effect on July 1, codifies the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and its contemporary examples of Jew-hatred into state law “to assist in the monitoring and reporting of antisemitic hate crimes and discrimination and to make residents aware of and to combat such incidents in this state.”

The bill passed the Florida House 115-0 on Feb. 29, after having passed the state Senate 40-0 the day beforehand.

DeSantis also signed HB 1109, Security for Jewish Day Schools and Preschools. That bill, which passed the state Senate 39-0 on March 5 and passed the state House 108-6 on Feb. 22, also went into effect on July 1.

The law requires the state’s education department “to establish a program to provide funds to full-time Jewish day schools and preschools for specified security purposes” and with “professional security hardening, as needed, to better secure facilities of such schools and preschools and to protect their students.”

“It wouldn’t be a trip to Israel without one of my antisemitism bills becoming law,” wrote Randy Fine, a Republican state representative, who is there this week, visiting Jerusalem and southern Israel.

“I’m proud to have led the most aggressive pro-Israel, antisemitism-fighting agenda in America during my time in the House,” he added. “In the Senate, well, those who support Muslim terror probably ought to start looking for realtors.”

The Combat Antisemitism Movement applauded the passage of the antisemitism bill. “A total of 36 U.S. states have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition,” the group stated.