House Bill 0409
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 409
By Representative Bradley
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Community and
3 Faith-based Organizations Initiative; creating
4 the Community and Faith-based Organizations
5 Initiative to promote community development in
6 low-income communities; requiring the Institute
7 on Urban Policy and Commerce at Florida
8 Agricultural and Mechanical University to
9 administer the initiative; authorizing certain
10 activities and uses of funds; providing
11 funding; providing an effective date.
12
13 WHEREAS, many community and faith-based organizations
14 are providing a new focus on economic uplift in Florida's poor
15 and most vulnerable neighborhoods, and
16 WHEREAS, these nonprofit organizations have local
17 experts who serve in leadership roles by assisting individuals
18 to move from dependency to self-sufficiency and restoring the
19 lives of residents in Florida's most distressed communities,
20 and
21 WHEREAS, crime, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy,
22 homelessness, and juvenile delinquency, the most notable
23 indicators of a distressed community, are being addressed by
24 small, and sometimes unrecognized, community and faith-based
25 organizations, and
26 WHEREAS, the leadership and expertise of these
27 organizations should not be ignored, and
28 WHEREAS, a recognized effort to empower community and
29 faith-based organizations, encourage community revitalization,
30 and implement educational reform will assist those who reside
31
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 409
547-145-00
1 in inner cities and distressed rural communities to gain their
2 share of the state's resources, NOW, THEREFORE,
3
4 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
5
6 Section 1. Community and Faith-based Organizations
7 Initiative.--
8 (1) CREATION.--There is created the Community and
9 Faith-based Organizations Initiative which shall be
10 administered by the Institute on Urban Policy and Commerce at
11 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
12 (2) INTENT.--The purpose of this initiative is to
13 promote community development in low-income communities
14 through partnerships with community and faith-based
15 organizations.
16 (3) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.--The Institute on Urban
17 Policy and Commerce at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
18 University may conduct the following activities as part of the
19 Community and Faith-based Organizations Initiative:
20 (a) Create and operate training programs to enhance
21 the professional skills of individuals in community and
22 faith-based organizations.
23 (b) Create and operate a program to select and place
24 students and recent graduates from business and related
25 professional schools as interns with community and faith-based
26 organizations for a period not to exceed 1 year, and provide
27 stipends for such interns.
28 (c) Organize an annual conference for community and
29 faith-based organizations to discuss and share information on
30 best practices regarding issues relevant to the creation,
31 operation, and sustainability of these organizations.
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 409
547-145-00
1 (d) Provide funding for the development of materials
2 for courses on topics in the area of community development,
3 and for research on economic, operational, and policy issues
4 relating to community development.
5 (e) Provide financial assistance to community and
6 faith-based organizations through small grants for
7 partnerships with universities and the operation of programs
8 to build strong communities and future community development
9 leaders.
10 (4) FUNDING.--There is appropriated from the General
11 Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2000-2001 the amount of $3 million
12 to the Institute on Urban Policy and Commerce at Florida
13 Agricultural and Mechanical University to administer the
14 Community and Faith-based Organizations Initiative.
15 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
16
17 *****************************************
18 HOUSE SUMMARY
19
Creates the Community and Faith-based Organizations
20 Initiative to promote community development in low-income
communities. Requires the Institute on Urban Policy and
21 Commerce at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University to administer the initiative. Authorizes
22 certain activities and uses of funds. Provides funding.
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
3