https://libertysentinel.org/florida-house-passes-bill-to-make-gold-legal-tender/
By Andrew Muller / April 25, 2025
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would support legislation to make gold and silver currency in the state.
At a press conference in Destin, Florida, today on expanding red snapper season, The Liberty Sentinel asked the governor if he would support HB 999, introduced by Representative Doug Bankston (R) to create gold and silver currency. “Yes, I would,” he replied.
The Florida House passed HB 999 to establish that “gold coin and silver coin are legal tender” last week with 112 affirmative votes and only one vote in opposition. The Senate has received the bill, and it has been referred to appropriations. With Governor DeSantis pledging his support, all eyes are on the state Senate to make it happen.
The bill’s inspiration comes from Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, which mandates states to “make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debt.” The bill defines “gold coin” as “a precious metal with the chemical element of atomic number 79 in solid form, typically in the shape of rounds, bars, ingots, or bullion coins, which is valued for its metal content and is stamped or imprinted with its weight and which consists of at least 99.5 percent purity.”
It also articulates that the precious metals can be used for “payment of a debt” as proper legal tender and eradicates taxes on their exchange.
“I am pleased to announce the successful passage of HB 999, the Legal Tender bill, on the House Floor yesterday!” Florida Representative Doug Bankson (R), who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. “Even the one no vote expressed intention to revise their decision following an explanation. The bill will now be referred to the Senate for further consideration.”
Kevin Freeman, the host of Economic Warroom and the author of Pirate Money, has been traveling the U.S. advocating for states to adopt similar legislation. He congratulated Rep. Bankson in a post on X: “My personal congratulations to Representative Doug Bankson for an amazing 113-0 win for HB 999 in the Florida House! We have supported you in this since Day One, before the last session. You’ve overcome long odds and serious roadblocks.”
This move comes alongside Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signing HB 1918, allowing for “the use of a bullion depository; and to allow for a precious metals-backed electronic system.” Utah’s state legislature also passed a bill to allow for use of precious metals as a currency, which was shockingly vetoed by Republican Governor Spencer Cox. The Liberty Sentinel interviewed Utah Representative Ken Ivory, the bill sponsor, which can be viewed HERE.
