HB 0837 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Florida Faith-Based Initiative;
3	creating the Florida Faith-Based Initiative and providing
4	for administration by the Florida Families Faith-Based
5	Institute, Inc.; providing for open records and meetings;
6	providing duties; providing an appropriation; providing an
7	effective date.
8
9	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	Section 1. Florida Faith-Based Initiative.--
12	(1) CREATION.--The Florida Faith-Based Initiative is
13	created and shall be administered by the Florida Families Faith-
14	Based Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Florida
15	corporation, which is registered, incorporated, organized, and
16	operated in compliance with chapter 617, Florida Statutes, and
17	which shall not be a unit or entity of state government. The
18	Legislature determines, however, that public policy dictates
19	that the Florida Families Faith-Based Institute, Inc., operate
20	in the most open and accessible manner consistent with its
21	public purpose. To this end, the Legislature specifically
22	declares that the Florida Families Faith-Based Institute, Inc.,
23	is subject to the provisions of chapter 119, Florida Statutes,
24	relating to public records and those provisions of chapter 286,
25	Florida Statutes, relating to public meetings and records.
26	(2) DUTIES.--The Florida Faith-Based Initiative shall:
27	(a) Examine competition-based barriers to state-funded or
28	federally funded provision of services by faith-based
29	organizations.
30	(b) Provide programmatic and managerial training and
31	technical assistance to faith-based organizations seeking or
32	using state or federal funds to provide services. Such training
33	and technical assistance shall focus on critical areas of faith-
34	based social services management, including community asset-
35	based program development, research-based "best program
36	practices," resource development for nonstate funding sources,
37	and financial management and budgeting.
38	(c) Establish a statewide resource center and
39	clearinghouse for information related to technical assistance
40	and training resources for faith-based and community-based
41	organizations.
42	(d) Serve, as required, as a fiscal intermediary for
43	faith-based and community-based organizations receiving state
44	funding.
45	(e) To the maximum extent possible, leverage state funding
46	for the initiative with any federal funding that the initiative
47	may receive to support similar faith-based activities.
48	(f) Provide specific goals and objective criteria to
49	measure, evaluate, and document the quality and cost of services
50	provided by faith-based organizations with state or federal
51	funds.
52	(g) Serve as liaison to the Centers for Faith-Based and
53	Community Initiatives established within the United States
54	Department of Justice, United States Department of Health and
55	Human Services, United States Department of Education, United
56	States Department of Labor, and United States Department of
57	Housing and Urban Development to work in tandem with the White
58	House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
59	Section 2. Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292,
60	Florida Statutes, and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes,
61	the sum of $700,000 is appropriated to the Florida Families
62	Faith-Based Institute, Inc., for purposes of administering the
63	Florida Faith-based Initiative.
64	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.