CS/HB 293 2025
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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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Office of Faith and Community; 2
creating s. 14.311, F.S.; providing legislative 3
findings; establishing the Office of Faith and 4
Community within the Executive Office of the Governor 5
for a specified purpose; specifying the duties of the 6
Office of Faith and Community; providing for the 7
appointment of a liaison for faith and community; 8
specifying the duties of the liaison for faith and 9
community; amending s. 14.31, F.S.; providing that the 10
Office of Faith and Community provides administrative 11
support to the Florida Faith -Based and Community-Based 12
Advisory Council; providing an effective date. 13
14
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
16
Section 1. Section 14.311, Florida Statutes, is created to 17
read: 18
14.311 Office of Faith and Community. — 19
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. —The Legislature finds that 20
faith-based, community-based, and nonprofit -based organizations, 21
otherwise known as faith and community networks, have long been 22
the cornerstone of prosperous and flourishing societies, serving 23
as the original model of community care. Faith and community 24
networks play an integral role in serving the most vulnerable 25
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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
persons of a community, including foster children, foster 26
families, kinship caregivers, single parents, persons in 27
poverty, veterans, persons with unique abilities, children in 28
the juvenile justice system, and vulnerable adults. Faith and 29
community networks offer a more impa ctful, efficient, and viable 30
long-term solution, wholly apart from or in partnership with 31
governmental programs. The impact of faith and community 32
networks is greatly enhanced by the reduction of unnecessary 33
bureaucracy through enhanced collaboration, comm unication, and 34
connection with civil service systems. Responsible connections 35
with faith and community networks are a just and necessary 36
component of good governance in pursuit of greater societal 37
growth in this state. Additionally, greater, more responsib le 38
investments in such efforts have demonstrated an exponential 39
yield of taxpayer savings, efficiency of governance, and 40
effectiveness of care. It is therefore the intent of the 41
Legislature to establish and create outlets of governmental 42
infrastructure to preserve, protect, advance, and better connect 43
the faith and community networks of this state for the greater 44
social and economic benefit of all. 45
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to establish 46
an Office of Faith and Community within the Executi ve Office of 47
the Governor, as well as the role of a liaison for faith and 48
community, in order to better connect with, communicate with, 49
and provide resources to this state's faith -based and community-50
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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
based organizations. 51
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE O F FAITH AND COMMUNITY. — 52
(a) The Office of Faith and Community is established 53
within the Executive Office of the Governor. The head of the 54
office is the liaison for faith and community or a director 55
appointed by the liaison who reports to the liaison. 56
(b) The primary purpose of the office is to better serve 57
the most vulnerable persons of this state through more robust 58
and connected faith and community networks in coordination with 59
state resources. 60
(c) The office shall: 61
1. Advocate for faith -based and community-based 62
organizations seeking access to, direction from, or support from 63
state agencies. 64
2. Establish and operate the Florida Faith and Community 65
Phone, a dedicated phone line for faith -based and community-66
based leaders in this state to connect with the Executive Office 67
of the Governor. 68
3. Establish meaningful lines of communication to connect 69
with and provide resources to faith -based and community-based 70
organizations in this state. The office shall deliver relevant 71
and useful information from the Executive Office of the Governor 72
and state agencies to the faith and community networks in this 73
state. 74
4. Develop and provide resources for enhanced connection 75
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between civil service systems, state agencies, and faith -based 76
and community-based organizations in this state. Specifically, 77
the office shall use technology to connect state and local 78
faith-based, community-based, and nonprofit -based organizations 79
to address the identified needs of a community. 80
5. In coordination with the heads of the executive 81
agencies, identify bureaucratic or regulatory burdens within 82
state government that unnecessarily restrict, impede, or 83
otherwise burden faith -based and community-based organizations 84
from their involvement with, collaboration with, or service to 85
the most vulnerable persons in this state. 86
6. Provide administrative support to the Florida Faith -87
based and Community-based Advisory Council under s. 14.31. 88
(4) LIAISON FOR FAITH AND COMMUNITY. — 89
(a) The position of the liaison for faith and community i s 90
established within the Executive Office of the Governor, and the 91
liaison shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the 92
Governor. 93
(b) The duties of the liaison for faith and community 94
include, but are not limited to: 95
1. Serving as a senior ad visor of faith-based and 96
community-based issues to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and 97
senior leadership within the Executive Office of the Governor. 98
2. Leading the Office of Faith and Community and executing 99
the objectives outlined in this section. 100
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3. Engaging, advising, and coordinating with the heads of 101
the executive agencies in the provision of faith -based and 102
community-based initiatives in relevant state agencies as 103
determined by the Governor. 104
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of se ction 105
14.31, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 106
14.31 Florida Faith -based and Community-based Advisory 107
Council.— 108
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNCIL. — 109
(a) The Florida Faith -based and Community-based Advisory 110
Council, an advisory council as defined in s. 20.03, is 111
established and assigned to the Executive Office of the 112
Governor. The council shall be administratively housed within 113
the Executive Office of the Governor and receive administrative 114
support from the Office of Faith and Community . 115
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 116