| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to school chaplains; creating s. 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1012.461, F.S.; authorizing school districts and 3 |
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| 17 | 17 | | charter schools to adopt a policy to allow volunteer 4 |
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| 18 | 18 | | school chaplains; establishing the requirements for 5 |
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| 19 | 19 | | such policy; requiring district school boards and 6 |
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| 20 | 20 | | charter school governing boards to assign specified 7 |
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| 21 | 21 | | duties to such volunteer school chaplains; requiring 8 |
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| 22 | 22 | | volunteer school chaplains to meet certain background 9 |
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| 23 | 23 | | screening requirements; requiring school districts and 10 |
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| 24 | 24 | | charter schools to publish specified information under 11 |
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| 25 | 25 | | certain circumstances; amending s. 1012.465, F.S.; 12 |
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| 26 | 26 | | providing background screening requirements for 13 |
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| 27 | 27 | | volunteer school chaplains; providing an effectiv e 14 |
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| 28 | 28 | | date. 15 |
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| 29 | 29 | | 16 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 |
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| 31 | 31 | | 18 |
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| 32 | 32 | | Section 1. Section 1012.461, Florida Statutes, is created 19 |
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| 33 | 33 | | to read: 20 |
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| 34 | 34 | | 1012.461 School chaplains. — 21 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) Each school district or charter school may adopt a 22 |
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| 36 | 36 | | policy to authorize volunt eer school chaplains to provide 23 |
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| 37 | 37 | | support, services, and programs to students as assigned by the 24 |
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| 38 | 38 | | district school board or charter school governing board. The 25 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Page 2 of 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | school district or charter school policy must, at a minimum: 26 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (a) Describe the supports, services, or programs that 27 |
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| 53 | 53 | | volunteer school chaplains may be assigned. 28 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (b) Require that principals of schools with a volunteer 29 |
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| 55 | 55 | | school chaplain inform all parents of the availability of such 30 |
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| 56 | 56 | | supports, services, and programs. 31 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (c) Require written parental consent b efore a student 32 |
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| 58 | 58 | | participates in or receives supports, services, and programs 33 |
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| 59 | 59 | | provided by a volunteer school chaplain. Parents must be 34 |
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| 60 | 60 | | permitted to select a volunteer school chaplain from the list 35 |
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| 61 | 61 | | provided by the school district, which must include the 36 |
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| 62 | 62 | | chaplain's religious affiliation, if any. 37 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (2) Each volunteer school chaplain must meet the 38 |
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| 64 | 64 | | requirements of s. 1012.465. 39 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (3) Any school district or charter school that adopts a 40 |
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| 66 | 66 | | volunteer school chaplains policy must publish the list of 41 |
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| 67 | 67 | | volunteer school chap lains, including any religious affiliation, 42 |
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| 68 | 68 | | on the school district or charter school's website. 43 |
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| 69 | 69 | | Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1012.465, Florida 44 |
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| 70 | 70 | | Statutes, is amended to read: 45 |
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| 71 | 71 | | 1012.465 Background screening requirements for certain 46 |
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| 72 | 72 | | noninstructional school district employees , and contractors, and 47 |
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| 73 | 73 | | volunteer school chaplains .— 48 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (1) Except as provided in s. 1012.467 or s. 1012.468, 49 |
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| 75 | 75 | | noninstructional school district employees , or contractual 50 |
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| 83 | 83 | | Page 3 of 3 |
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| 84 | 84 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 85 | 85 | | |
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| 86 | 86 | | |
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| 87 | 87 | | |
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| 88 | 88 | | personnel, or volunteer school chaplains who are permitted 51 |
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| 89 | 89 | | access on school grounds when students are present, who have 52 |
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| 90 | 90 | | direct contact with students or who have access to or control of 53 |
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| 91 | 91 | | school funds must meet the screening requirements of s. 1012.32. 54 |
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| 92 | 92 | | Contractual personnel shall include any vendor, individual, or 55 |
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| 93 | 93 | | entity under contract with a school or the school board. 56 |
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| 94 | 94 | | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 57 |
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