House Bill hb1593

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1593

        By Representative Peterman






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida Faith-Based

  3         Initiative; creating the Florida Faith-Based

  4         Initiative and providing for administration by

  5         the Florida Faith-Based Network, Inc.;

  6         providing for open records and meetings;

  7         providing duties; providing funding; providing

  8         eligibility for funds; providing an effective

  9         date.

10  

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12  

13         Section 1.  Florida Faith-Based Initiative.--

14         (1)  CREATION.--The Florida Faith-Based Initiative is

15  created and shall be administered by the Florida Faith-Based

16  Network, Inc., which shall be registered, incorporated,

17  organized, and operated in compliance with chapter 617,

18  Florida Statutes, and which shall not be a unit or entity of

19  state government.  The Legislature determines, however, that

20  public policy dictates that the Florida Faith-Based Network,

21  Inc., operate in the most open and accessible manner

22  consistent with its public purpose.  To this end, the

23  Legislature specifically declares that the Florida Faith-Based

24  Network, Inc., is subject to the provisions of chapter 119,

25  Florida Statutes, relating to public records and those

26  provisions of chapter 286, Florida Statutes, relating to

27  public meetings and records.

28         (2)  DUTIES.--The Florida Faith-Based Initiative shall:

29         (a)  Examine competition-based barriers to state-funded

30  or federally funded provision of services by faith-based

31  organizations.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1593

    788-115-02






  1         (b)  Provide programmatic and managerial training and

  2  technical assistance to faith-based organizations seeking or

  3  using state or federal funds to provide services.  Such

  4  training and technical assistance shall focus on critical

  5  areas of faith-based social services management, including

  6  community asset-based program development, research-based

  7  "best program practices," resource development for nonstate

  8  funding sources, and financial management and budgeting.

  9         (c)  Provide funds to faith-based organizations to

10  provide authorized local services on behalf of a state agency.

11         (d)  To the maximum extent possible, leverage state

12  funding for the initiative with any federal funding that the

13  initiative may receive to support similar faith-based

14  activities.

15         (e)  Provide specific goals and objective criteria to

16  measure, evaluate, and document the quality and cost of

17  services provided by faith-based organizations with state or

18  federal funds.

19         (f)  Serve as liaison to the Centers for Faith-Based

20  and Community Initiatives established within the United States

21  Department of Justice, United States Department of Health and

22  Human Services, United States Department of Education, United

23  States Department of Labor, and United States Department of

24  Housing and Urban Development to work in tandem with the White

25  House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

26         (g)  Provide comprehensive chaplaincy programming in

27  juvenile detention centers across the state in order to assist

28  local youth in developing and internalizing a set of personal

29  moral values through interactive participation with the youth

30  and his or her family.

31         (3)  FUNDING.--

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1593

    788-115-02






  1         (a)  Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292, Florida

  2  Statutes, and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes:

  3         1.  The Department of Juvenile Justice shall transfer

  4  to the Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal year up to

  5  $1 million from trust fund and Title II and Title V federal

  6  fund appropriations to the department that fiscal year.

  7         2.  The Department of Corrections shall transfer to the

  8  Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal year up to $1

  9  million from trust fund and community-based program

10  appropriations to the department that fiscal year.

11         3.  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall transfer to the

12  Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal year up to $2

13  million from toolkit and WAGES appropriations to the agency

14  that fiscal year.

15         4.  The Department of Health shall transfer to the

16  Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal year up to $1.5

17  million from trust fund, anti-tobacco, and abstinence

18  education appropriations to the department that fiscal year.

19         5.  The Department of Community Affairs shall transfer

20  to the Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal year up to

21  $1 million from community development appropriations to the

22  department that fiscal year.

23         6.  The Department of Children and Family Services

24  shall transfer to the Florida Faith-Based Initiative each

25  fiscal year up to $1.5 million from trust fund and family

26  preservation appropriations to the department that fiscal

27  year.

28         7.  The Department of Law Enforcement shall transfer to

29  the Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal year up to $1

30  million from trust fund appropriations to the department that

31  fiscal year.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1593

    788-115-02






  1         8.  The Department of Environmental Protection shall

  2  transfer to the Florida Faith-Based Initiative each fiscal

  3  year up to $1 million from trust fund appropriations to the

  4  department that fiscal year.

  5         (b)  All funds transferred to the Florida Faith-Based

  6  Initiative under this subsection shall be distributed to

  7  faith-based organizations for provision of services on behalf

  8  of the department or agency from which the funds were

  9  transferred and only pursuant to a written agreement between

10  the department or agency and the initiative.

11         (c)  All fund transfers under this subsection shall be

12  by budget amendment submitted through the Executive Office of

13  the Governor and are subject to the notice and review

14  procedures set forth in s. 216.177, Florida Statutes.

15         (4)  ELIGIBILITY.--A faith-based organization receiving

16  funding or other assistance under the Florida Faith-Based

17  Initiative must be a nonprofit organization holding a current

18  exemption from federal taxation under s. 501(c)(3) or (4) of

19  the Internal Revenue Code or must be a religious organization

20  that is not required to apply for recognition of its exemption

21  from federal taxation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal

22  Revenue Code.  Funding under this section shall not be used

23  for religious or sectarian purposes.

24         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

25  

26            *****************************************

27                          HOUSE SUMMARY

28  
      Creates the Florida Faith-Based Initiative and provides
29    for its administration by the Florida Faith-Based
      Network, Inc.  Provides duties and funding.  See bill for
30    details.

31  

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