HB 0665 2004
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to statewide intermediary assistance for
3	faith-based and community-based organizations; providing
4	legislative findings; designating the Florida Faith-Based
5	Association as a statewide intermediary organization for
6	certain purposes; providing duties of the association;
7	requiring a report; providing appropriations; providing
8	duties of the Chief Financial Officer; providing an
9	effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1. Statewide intermediary organization for faith-
14	based and community-based collaboration and assistance.--
15	(1) FINDINGS.--The Legislature determines that developing
16	a faith-based initiative would be in the best interest of the
17	citizens of this state. The Legislature acknowledges the
18	tremendous pool of human resources within the "armies of
19	compassion" in this state, recognizes the need to recruit,
20	organize, mobilize, educate, train, and provide leadership for
21	this vast army, and recognizes the need for a statewide
22	intermediary organization to provide these necessary
23	administrative services.
24	(2) DESIGNATION.--The Florida Faith-Based Association,
25	which was incorporated in this state in August 2001 and
26	qualified for nonprofit status under s. 501(c)(3) of the United
27	States Internal Revenue Code in April 2003, is designated as a
28	statewide intermediary organization to provide assistance to
29	faith-based organizations that are interested in providing
30	social services. The association is not a government agency and
31	no member of the board of directors may be a state officer. For
32	purposes of this act, an "intermediary organization" is an
33	organization that is familiar with the faith community, with the
34	programs of government social service agencies, and with
35	successful faith-based programs that serve as examples of best
36	practices, is not a local congregation or a traditional social
37	service provider, but is an organization that exists between
38	those entities and has the purpose of helping them work together
39	to reach the poor and needy.
40	(3) DUTIES.--To function as a statewide intermediary
41	organization, the Florida Faith-Based Association shall:
42	(a) Convene a minimum of two meetings of stakeholders in
43	each of the six regions of this state defined by the
44	intermediary organization to identify regional needs and develop
45	a plan to meet those needs.
46	(b) Provide at least six regional training conferences for
47	faith-based and community-based organizations. These training
48	conferences shall focus on issues such as capacity development,
49	best practices, effective collaboration with government and
50	community-based organizations, measuring and documenting
51	outcomes, and fund development as well as other needs identified
52	by the regional faith-based and community-based leaders and
53	their governmental liaisons.
54	(c) Improve collaboration between public and private
55	agencies, helping them focus on their shared objectives.
56	(d) Work with local, state, and federal agency liaisons to
57	comprehensively assess the human needs in communities in this
58	state and recruit and train faith-based organizations to meet
59	those needs.
60	(e) Within 18 months after July 1, 2004, publish a
61	detailed report of the needs assessment results and provide a
62	copy of the report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
63	and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
64	(f) Convene annual statewide summits of faith-based and
65	community-based leaders as well as representatives of
66	appropriate local, state, and federal agencies.
67	(g)1. Use the current statewide database of over 20,000
68	faith-based organizations in this state to analyze the
69	strategies and programs currently being used.
70	2. Continue to update and keep current the statewide
71	database of over 20,000 faith-based organizations in this state.
72	(h) Identify best practices among faith-based and
73	community-based organizations and develop and publish a list of
74	those programs.
75	(i) Offer best-practices training in the area of service
76	delivery, as well as capacity building statewide.
77	(j) Develop and implement annual strategic plans.
78	(k) Produce annual printed and online faith-based
79	resources directories.
80	(l) Create a board of directors of no less than 12 and no
81	more than 18 members that would represent each of the six
82	regions of this state.
83	(m) Develop three advisory committees, one each in the
84	areas of spiritual leadership, capacity development, and
85	advocacy.
86	(n) Develop six regional intermediary organizations and,
87	if necessary, develop local intermediary organizations.
88	(o) Examine barriers to state-funded or federally funded
89	provision of services by faith-based organizations.
90	(p) Serve as fiscal intermediary for state or federal
91	grants directed to faith-based organizations and community-based
92	organizations.
93	(q) Develop private matching funds to the extent that the
94	association would be able to demonstrate total sustainability
95	within 36 months after July 1, 2004.
96	(r) Develop specific outcome measures for the quantity and
97	quality of services delivered to the state and the cost-
98	effectiveness of those services.
99	(s) Function as a liaison to work in partnership with the
100	White House Office of Faith and Community Initiatives.
101	(4) REPORT.--By January 1 of each year, the Florida Faith-
102	Based Association shall submit to the Governor, the President of
103	the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives an
104	annual audited report which shall describe the activities of the
105	association in fulfilling its duties as a statewide faith-based
106	organization, account for expenditures by the association of
107	funds distributed by the Chief Financial Officer to the
108	association for purposes of implementing this act, and recommend
109	to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
110	Representatives changes to the laws of this state necessary to
111	fulfill the association’s purposes and duties.
112	Section 2. Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292,
113	Florida Statutes, and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes,
114	the following sums are appropriated from the General Revenue
115	Fund to the Department of Financial Services for distribution to
116	the Florida Faith-Based Association for purposes of development
117	as a statewide intermediary organization: $700,000 for fiscal
118	year 2004-2005, $600,000 for fiscal year 2005-2006, and $500,000
119	for fiscal year 2006-2007. The Chief Financial Officer shall
120	distribute such moneys to the association each year for which an
121	appropriation is made for purposes of implementing this act. The
122	association shall document receipt and uses of such moneys for
123	the purposes specified in this act and shall include such
124	documentation in the report required under section 1.
125	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.