Broadcast Freedom Protection Act (FL SB 860)

• Prohibits elected or appointed officials at any level of Florida government from using or threatening to use their official authority, position, or influence to compel, coerce, induce, or intimidate FCC-licensed television broadcasters regarding the airing of political advertisements related to statewide ballot initiatives
• Specifically bars officials from threatening to withhold or promising to grant state funding, permits, or other benefits to broadcasters, or initiating or threatening regulatory action, investigations, or audits as a form of coercion
• Violations constitute a third-degree felony, and offending officials may also be removed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any elected or appointed office in Florida
• Grants the Florida Commission on Ethics authority to investigate complaints of violations and recommend penalties
• Aggrieved individuals or entities may file complaints with the Commission on Ethics or seek injunctive relief in court; the act takes effect July 1, 2025