Rep. Hillary Cassel (R-Dania Beach) has filed legislation in the Florida Legislature to prohibit courts and agencies from using Shari’a Law. The bill, HB 119, was symbolically filed almost two years to the day of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, which left 1,200 Israelis dead.
Shari'a law is Islam's legal system taken from the Quran. Specifically, its principles act as a code for Muslims in everyday life, including around criminal justice issues, personal conduct matters, and prayer requirements.
"Florida will never submit to foreign law, including Sharia'a law, in any form, at any time, under any circumstance," Cassel said in a statement. "As a Jewish woman, I know exactly what's at stake when hatred and extremism are allowed to creep into our society. "This bill draws a hard, immovable line: Florida's laws are written by Americans, for Americans - not by foreign ideologues who reject freedom and deny basic human rights."
According to its details, HB 119 would effectively make a Florida court's decision illegitimate if it relies on Shari'a law in a way that violates a person's constitutional rights, including due process and freedom of speech.
Rep. Cassel, who ran as a Democrat in last November's HD 101 general election, switched her party affiliation to the GOP back in December. Notably, Cassel mentioned the Democratic Party's failure to support the Jewish State at the time of her departure.
"This bill is not a reaction - it is a prevention. This legislation ensures that Shari'a law and any foreign legal codes that contradict our Constitution will be dead on arrival in this state," Cassell continued. "They won't get a foothold, a platform, or a second of legitimacy in Florida."
HB 119 is co-sponsored by Reps. Webster Barnaby (R-Deltona); Yvette Benarroch (R-Marco Island); Robert "Robbie" Brackett (R-Vero Beach); Juan Porras (R-Miami); and Debra Tendrich (D-Lake Worth).
The bill does not have a Senate companion as of yet.
"This is about protecting Floridians' way of life - our families, our freedoms, and respecting the rule of law that makes America exceptional," Cassell concluded. "I stand strong, proud, and unyielding in defense of freedom, in defiance of hate, and in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people. This is the free state of Florida - and I intend to keep it that way."
If passed, HB 119 would take effect on July 1, 2026.
The Florida legislative session begins Jan. 13.
