Senate Bill sb2134
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2134
By Senator Argenziano
3-1554-04 See HB 665
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to statewide intermediary
3 assistance for faith-based and community-based
4 organizations; providing legislative findings;
5 designating the Florida Faith-Based Association
6 as a statewide intermediary organization for
7 certain purposes; providing duties of the
8 association; requiring a report; providing
9 appropriations; providing duties of the Chief
10 Financial Officer; providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Statewide intermediary organization for
15 faith-based and community-based collaboration and
16 assistance.--
17 (1) FINDINGS.--The Legislature determines that
18 developing a faith-based initiative would be in the best
19 interest of the citizens of this state. The Legislature
20 acknowledges the tremendous pool of human resources within the
21 "armies of compassion" in this state, recognizes the need to
22 recruit, organize, mobilize, educate, train, and provide
23 leadership for this vast army, and recognizes the need for a
24 statewide intermediary organization to provide these necessary
25 administrative services.
26 (2) DESIGNATION.--The Florida Faith-Based Association,
27 which was incorporated in this state in August 2001 and
28 qualified for nonprofit status under s. 501(c)(3) of the
29 United States Internal Revenue Code in April 2003, is
30 designated as a statewide intermediary organization to provide
31 assistance to faith-based organizations that are interested in
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2134
3-1554-04 See HB 665
1 providing social services. The association is not a government
2 agency and no member of the board of directors may be a state
3 officer. For purposes of this act, an "intermediary
4 organization" is an organization that is familiar with the
5 faith community, with the programs of government social
6 service agencies, and with successful faith-based programs
7 that serve as examples of best practices, is not a local
8 congregation or a traditional social service provider, but is
9 an organization that exists between those entities and has the
10 purpose of helping them work together to reach the poor and
11 needy.
12 (3) DUTIES.--To function as a statewide intermediary
13 organization, the Florida Faith-Based Association shall:
14 (a) Convene a minimum of two meetings of stakeholders
15 in each of the six regions of this state defined by the
16 intermediary organization to identify regional needs and
17 develop a plan to meet those needs.
18 (b) Provide at least six regional training conferences
19 for faith-based and community-based organizations. These
20 training conferences shall focus on issues such as capacity
21 development, best practices, effective collaboration with
22 government and community-based organizations, measuring and
23 documenting outcomes, and fund development as well as other
24 needs identified by the regional faith-based and
25 community-based leaders and their governmental liaisons.
26 (c) Improve collaboration between public and private
27 agencies, helping them focus on their shared objectives.
28 (d) Work with local, state, and federal agency
29 liaisons to comprehensively assess the human needs in
30 communities in this state and recruit and train faith-based
31 organizations to meet those needs.
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2134
3-1554-04 See HB 665
1 (e) Within 18 months after July 1, 2004, publish a
2 detailed report of the needs assessment results and provide a
3 copy of the report to the Governor, the President of the
4 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
5 (f) Convene annual statewide summits of faith-based
6 and community-based leaders as well as representatives of
7 appropriate local, state, and federal agencies.
8 (g)1. Use the current statewide database of over
9 20,000 faith-based organizations in this state to analyze the
10 strategies and programs currently being used.
11 2. Continue to update and keep current the statewide
12 database of over 20,000 faith-based organizations in this
13 state.
14 (h) Identify best practices among faith-based and
15 community-based organizations and develop and publish a list
16 of those programs.
17 (i) Offer best-practices training in the area of
18 service delivery, as well as capacity building statewide.
19 (j) Develop and implement annual strategic plans.
20 (k) Produce annual printed and online faith-based
21 resources directories.
22 (l) Create a board of directors of no less than 12 and
23 no more than 18 members that would represent each of the six
24 regions of this state.
25 (m) Develop three advisory committees, one each in the
26 areas of spiritual leadership, capacity development, and
27 advocacy.
28 (n) Develop six regional intermediary organizations
29 and, if necessary, develop local intermediary organizations.
30 (o) Examine barriers to state-funded or federally
31 funded provision of services by faith-based organizations.
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2134
3-1554-04 See HB 665
1 (p) Serve as fiscal intermediary for state or federal
2 grants directed to faith-based organizations and
3 community-based organizations.
4 (q) Develop private matching funds to the extent that
5 the association would be able to demonstrate total
6 sustainability within 36 months after July 1, 2004.
7 (r) Develop specific outcome measures for the quantity
8 and quality of services delivered to the state and the
9 cost-effectiveness of those services.
10 (s) Function as a liaison to work in partnership with
11 the White House Office of Faith and Community Initiatives.
12 (4) REPORT.--By January 1 of each year, the Florida
13 Faith-Based Association shall submit to the Governor, the
14 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
15 Representatives an annual audited report which shall describe
16 the activities of the association in fulfilling its duties as
17 a statewide faith-based organization, account for expenditures
18 by the association of funds distributed by the Chief Financial
19 Officer to the association for purposes of implementing this
20 act, and recommend to the President of the Senate and the
21 Speaker of the House of Representatives changes to the laws of
22 this state necessary to fulfill the association's purposes and
23 duties.
24 Section 2. Notwithstanding sections 216.181 and
25 216.292, Florida Statutes, and pursuant to section 216.351,
26 Florida Statutes, the following sums are appropriated from the
27 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Financial Services
28 for distribution to the Florida Faith-Based Association for
29 purposes of development as a statewide intermediary
30 organization: $700,000 for fiscal year 2004-2005, $600,000 for
31 fiscal year 2005-2006, and $500,000 for fiscal year 2006-2007.
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2004 SB 2134
3-1554-04 See HB 665
1 The Chief Financial Officer shall distribute such moneys to
2 the association each year for which an appropriation is made
3 for purposes of implementing this act. The association shall
4 document receipt and uses of such moneys for the purposes
5 specified in this act and shall include such documentation in
6 the report required under section 1.
7 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.