Bill banning Chinese from owning land in Florida passes in the House

A bill banning Chinese citizens and other foreign nationals from buying land in Florida has passed the House, MSNBC reports.

SB 264 would prohibit Chinese people who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents from owning property in Florida. According to The Tampa Bay Times, the bill would also prevent residents from “foreign adversaries” like Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria from owning property near military bases.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously back in mid-April. An amendment was made in the House that would visa holders to own one home if they registered through a state agency, Axios reports. The bill will now go back to the Senate for approval.

Asian American organizations in Florida have been protesting SB 264 and its companion bill HB 1355 for weeks.

“These two bills, revived out of the coffins of the notorious “Alien Land Laws” and “Chinese Exclusion Act” in American history are unconstitutional and pose significant threats to the livelihoods of the AAPI community,” a coalition of Asian American groups said in a statement.

Democrat state Rep. Anna V. Eskamani supported the AAPI community at a recent rally against the bill in Orlando. She says she is concerned about the large impact the bills could have on Asian American homebuyers.

“If someone who looks Asian, who tries to purchase a house, that they will be stereotyped, and they will potentially be not able to purchase that house,” Eskamani said in an interview with WESH.