Florida’s governor, Charlie Crist, signed into law SB 1310, which imposes heavy restrictions on Florida travel agencies that arrange trips to Iran. Florida legislature passed a law making it significantly more difficult for Iranian Americans to travel to Iran to visit family and friends.

Travel agents must pay a $1000 registration fee and secure at least a $100,000 security bond to provide services to anyone seeking to visit countries recognized by the State Department as sponsors of terrorism. Iran, Syria, Cuba, Sudan and North Korea are the five countries the US State Department currently deems terrorist sponsor countries.

The new law, which goes into effect on the first of July, will make it much more expensive for Iranian Americans and anybody else in Florida to travel to Iran. Higher costs for travel agencies will be passed on to consumers, compounding the effects of record oil prices and making it much more expensive for Americans to travel.

The law was proposed by Sen. Carey Baker. of Lake County and it first passed the Committee on Criminal Justice by a six to one vote, then on April 30 the bill passed the full Senate 26-2. The Florida House passed it 109-6 the same day. Sen. Paula Dockery, who was the only vote against this bill in the Criminal Justice Committee, criticized the law, saying “This is a vindictive act against travel agents that hurts people who need assistance.”