Florida Senate - 2009 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 2296
Barcode 381550
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Wise)
recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Between lines 64 and 65
4 insert:
5 Section 4. Section 402.316, Florida Statutes, is amended to
6 read:
7 (Substantial rewording of section. See
8 s. 402.316, F.S., for present text.)
9 402.316 Religious exemption.—
10 (1) This section may be cited as the “Zaniyah Hinson Act.”
11 (2) The provisions of ss. 402.301-402.319 do not apply to a
12 child care facility or weekday preschool program if that program
13 is an integral part of an established religious congregation or
14 religious school that conducts regularly scheduled classes,
15 courses of study, or educational programs and is a member or
16 participant of, or accredited by, a state, regional, or national
17 accrediting organization for religious exemption which is
18 recognized by the department. However, the personnel of such
19 facility or program must meet the screening requirements of ss.
20 402.305(2) and 402.3055.
21 (3) The department shall recognize an accrediting
22 organization for religious exemption for the purposes of this
23 section if the organization complies with all of the following:
24 (a) Adopts and publishes minimum standards for operating a
25 child care facility or weekday preschool program that meets or
26 exceeds the minimum standards set forth in s. 402.305 (1)-(11),
27 (13), (15), and (16).
28 (b) Requires a child care facility or weekday preschool
29 program that is a member or participant of, or accredited by,
30 the organization to:
31 1. Comply with the accrediting organization’s minimum
32 standards.
33 2. Meet the minimum requirements of the local governing
34 body with respect to health, sanitation, and safety, including
35 minimum requirements for environmental health, firesafety,
36 zoning, and building codes, and comply with the local governing
37 body with respect to the enforcement of those requirements.
38 3. Inform parents and guardians that the facility or
39 program is exempt from state licensing requirements but meets
40 the standards of an accrediting organization for religious
41 exemption which meet or exceed the department’s minimum
42 standards.
43 4. Display its certificate of compliance issued by the
44 accrediting organization in a conspicuous location. Failure to
45 post the certificate must result in an administrative action by
46 the accrediting organization as determined by the organization’s
47 standards.
48 (4) The department shall facilitate an annual meeting of
49 the accrediting organizations for religious exemption, health
50 and safety officials, and other interested child advocates in
51 order to exchange ideas for ensuring the health and safety of
52 children in child care facilities and weekday preschool
53 programs.
54 (5) The department may not regulate or control an
55 accrediting organization for religious exemption or regulate or
56 control the governance, religious curriculum, academic
57 curriculum, testing or assessments, evaluation procedures,
58 academic requirements of staff, discipline, or hiring practices
59 of any child care facility or weekday preschool program that is
60 exempt from ss. 402.301-402.319 pursuant to this section.
61
62 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
63 And the title is amended as follows:
64 Delete lines 2 - 25
65 and insert:
66 An act relating to the regulation of child care
67 programs and facilities; amending ss. 402.305,
68 402.313, and 402.3131, F.S.; requiring child care
69 facilities, family day care homes, and large family
70 child care homes to provide parents with certain
71 information regarding the causes, symptoms, and
72 transmission of the influenza virus; amending s.
73 402.316, F.S.; providing a short title; providing that
74 a child care facility or weekday preschool program
75 affiliated with a religious congregation or religious
76 school and which is a member, participant, or
77 accredited by an accrediting organization for
78 religious exemption is exempt from regulation by the
79 Department of Children and Family Services; providing
80 an exception for the screening requirements for
81 program personnel; requiring accrediting organizations
82 recognized by the department to adopt and publish
83 minimum standards that meet or exceed certain
84 department standards; providing additional program
85 requirements; requiring the department to facilitate
86 an annual meeting; prohibiting the department from
87 regulating accrediting organizations or certain
88 specified elements of a religious-exempt child care
89 program; providing an effective date.