HB 0031 2004
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Florida Faith-Based Initiative;
3	establishing the Florida Faith-Based Initiative; creating
4	the Florida Families Faith-Based Institute and providing
5	for administration by the Florida Agricultural and
6	Mechanical University; providing a definition; providing
7	duties; prohibiting imposition of fees for certain
8	purposes; requiring a report; providing for open records
9	and meetings; providing an appropriation; providing an
10	effective date.
11
12	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14	Section 1. Florida Faith-Based Initiative.--
15	(1) CREATION.--The Florida Families Faith-Based Institute
16	is created at and shall be administered by the Florida
17	Agricultural and Mechanical University. The Legislature
18	determines that public policy dictates that the Florida Families
19	Faith-Based Institute operate in the most open and accessible
20	manner consistent with its public purpose. To this end, the
21	Legislature specifically declares that the Florida Families
22	Faith-Based Institute is subject to the provisions of chapter
23	119, Florida Statutes, relating to public records and those
24	provisions of chapter 286, Florida Statutes, relating to public
25	meetings and records.
26	(2) DEFINITION.--"Faith-based organization" means an
27	organization which is owned by, operated by, or affiliated with
28	a religious entity and whose primary purpose is providing social
29	services and assistance to individuals in need of its services,
30	without regard to the race or religion of the person in need of
31	such services.
32	(3) DUTIES.--The Florida Families Faith-Based Institute
33	shall:
34	(a) Examine barriers to state-funded or federally funded
35	provision of services by faith-based organizations.
36	(b) Provide programmatic and managerial training and
37	technical assistance to faith-based organizations seeking or
38	using state or federal funds to provide services. Such training
39	and technical assistance shall focus on critical areas of faith-
40	based social services management, including community asset-
41	based program development, research-based "best program
42	practices," resource development for nonstate funding sources,
43	and financial management and budgeting.
44	(c) Establish a statewide resource center and
45	clearinghouse for information related to technical assistance
46	and training resources for faith-based and community-based
47	organizations.
48	(d) Serve, as required, as a fiscal intermediary for
49	faith-based and community-based organizations receiving state
50	funding.
51	(e) To the maximum extent possible, leverage state funding
52	for the initiative with any federal funding that the initiative
53	may receive to support similar faith-based activities.
54	(f) Provide specific goals and objective criteria to
55	measure, evaluate, and document the quality and cost of services
56	provided by faith-based organizations with state or federal
57	funds.
58	(g) Serve as liaison to the Centers for Faith-Based and
59	Community Initiatives established within the United States
60	Department of Justice, United States Department of Health and
61	Human Services, United States Department of Education, United
62	States Department of Labor, and United States Department of
63	Housing and Urban Development to work in tandem with the White
64	House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
65
66	The Florida Families Faith-Based Institute shall perform its
67	duties without imposing fees on faith-based organizations
68	receiving its assistance.
69	(4) REPORT.--By January 1 of each year, the institute
70	shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
71	the Speaker of the House of Representatives an annual report
72	which shall describe the activities of the institute in
73	fulfilling its duties, describe expenditures of funds by the
74	institute, and recommend to the President of the Senate and the
75	Speaker of the House of Representatives changes to the Florida
76	Statutes necessary to fulfill its purposes and duties.
77	Section 2. Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292,
78	Florida Statutes, and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes,
79	the sum of $700,000 is appropriated from the General Revenue
80	Fund to the Florida Families Faith-Based Institute for purposes
81	of administering the Florida Faith-Based Initiative.
82	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.