TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are considering legislation that would bar government assistance for professional sports teams if the U.S. national anthem isn't played at events despite it seemingly not being an issue in the state.
It requires written verification that the team will play the national anthem at the beginning of each home game or other facility controlled by the team for the event, according to an analysis of the legislation by the Florida Senate.
A team that fails to comply is subject to a penalty as stipulated in the agreement, which may include state or local dollars being returned or prohibiting funding from being used in the future.
State Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Bradenton, filed the House version of the bill (HB 499) in November 2021, with State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, filing the related bill in the Senate (SB 1298) a month later.
The Senate version passed Tuesday by a vote of 7-1 in the Committee on Commerce and Tourism, with Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, casting the lone vote against.
"Who doesn't play the national anthem now?" Sen. Vic Torres, D-Kissimmee, asked.
"I don't know if there's any known instances in Florida," Gruters responded. "This is just to make sure, as a proactive approach, that people continue to play it."
The Florida legislation is similar to Texas' so-called "Star-Spangled Banner Protection Act," which was introduced after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban quietly stopped the playing of the anthem before games. The NBA had since required the anthem to be played before games and made the Mavericks organization resume playing it, but lawmakers said they wanted more protection.
If signed into law in its current form, the legislation would apply to events including those by Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL) and the National Hockey League (NHL). Also included are events sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) in a venue with a seating capacity of at least 75,000 people and a Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) event.
