(1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Common carrier” means a person, firm, or corporation that undertakes for hire, as a regular business, to transport persons or commodities from place to place, offering his or her services to all such as may choose to employ the common carrier and pay his or her charges.
(b) “Contract” means a contract that is subject to the competitive procurement requirements of the contracting governmental entity or a contract for an amount or duration requiring it to include written provisions under the procurement requirements of the governmental entity.
(c) “Governmental entity” means an agency of the state, a regional or local government created by the State Constitution or by a general or special act, a county or municipality, or any other entity that independently exercises governmental authority.
(d) “Unauthorized alien” means a person who is unlawfully present in the United States according to the terms of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. ss. 1101 et seq. The term shall be interpreted consistently with any applicable federal statutes, rules, or regulations.
(2) A governmental entity may not execute, amend, or renew a contract with a common carrier or contracted carrier if the carrier is willfully providing any service in furtherance of transporting a person into the State of Florida knowing that the person is an unauthorized alien, except to facilitate the detention, removal, or departure of the person from this state or the United States.
(3) A contract between a governmental entity and a common carrier or contracted carrier which is executed, amended, or renewed on or after October 1, 2022, including a grant agreement or economic incentive program payment agreement, must include:(a) An attestation by the common carrier or contracted carrier, in conformity with s. 92.525, that the common carrier or contracted carrier is not willfully providing and will not willfully provide any service during the contract term in furtherance of transporting a person into this state knowing that the person is an unauthorized alien, except to facilitate the detention, removal, or departure of the person from this state or the United States. A governmental entity is deemed to be in compliance with subsection (2) upon receipt of the common carrier’s or contracted carrier’s attestation; and (b) A provision for termination for cause of the contract, grant agreement, or economic incentive program payment agreement if a common carrier or contracted carrier is found in violation of its attestation.
(4) The Department of Management Services shall develop by rule a common carrier and contracted carrier attestation form no later than August 30, 2022.
1Note.—Section 1, ch. 2023-3, provides:“(1) As used in this section, the term “inspected unauthorized alien” means an individual who has documentation from the United States Government indicating that the United States Government processed and released him or her into the United States without admitting the individual in accordance with the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. ss. 1101 et seq. The term must be interpreted consistently with any applicable federal statutes, rules, or regulations.
“(2) The Legislature finds that the Federal Government has failed to secure the nation’s borders and has allowed a surge of inspected unauthorized aliens to enter the United States. In January 2023, the Governor issued Executive Order 23-03, directing state law enforcement agencies and other state agencies to take necessary actions to protect Floridians from the impacts of the border crisis. Without such action, detrimental effects may be experienced in Florida, including increased crime, diminished economic opportunities and wages for American workers, and burdens on the education and health care systems. The Legislature finds that the Federal Government has proven itself unwilling to address this crisis.
“(3) To mitigate the effects of this crisis on the State of Florida, the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program is created within the Division of Emergency Management within the Executive Office of the Governor for the purpose of facilitating the transport of inspected unauthorized aliens within the United States, consistent with federal law. Notwithstanding s. 287.057, Florida Statutes, the division is authorized to contract for services to implement the program.
“(4) The division may adopt rules to implement the program.
“(5) This section expires June 30, 2025.”
