TALLAHASSEE — A proposal critics say targets Islam passed the House Thursday despite heated opposition from two Jewish Democratic lawmakers who called the bill unnecessary and discriminatory.

The measure bans courts or other legal authorities from using religious or foreign law as a part of a legal decision or contract. For example, Florida law would trump foreign law in marriage, divorce and custody cases. The House passed the bill 92-24, but the measure will stall in the Senate unless leaders steer it to the floor.

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After heated debates in two dozen states over banning Sharia law, the legal code of Islam, a national Islamic group is beginning a multi-million dollar effort to explain how Sharia applies to the lives of American Muslims.

The Islamic Circle of North America, a New York-based group, is spending $3 million on its Defending Religious Freedom campaign, which kicks off Monday and explains Sharia law and common misunderstandings to everyday Americans.

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Over at his Washington Post Figuring Faith blog, Robert P. Jones analyses the obstacles faced by the sponsors of anti-sharia laws in the US.

First, in order to avoid being ruled unconstitutional, the anti-sharia bills now have to be framed so broadly that they impact not just on Muslims but also on Jews, Catholics and business interests, which has the effect of broadening opposition to the proposed legislation.

Second, opinion polls indicate that sharia hysteria is in decline among the general public. Currently 14 percent agree that American Muslims want to establish sharia as the law of the land, while 68 percent disagree and 17 percent say they do not know.