Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 834
       
       
        
       By Senator Yarborough
       
       
       
       
       
       4-00896A-26                                            2026834__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to insurance requirements for
    3         nonprofit religious organizations; amending s.
    4         624.1265, F.S.; revising the conditions under which a
    5         nonprofit religious organization is not subject to the
    6         requirements of the Florida Insurance Code; providing
    7         an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 624.1265, Florida
   12  Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         624.1265 Nonprofit religious organization exemption;
   14  authority; notice.—
   15         (1) A nonprofit religious organization is not subject to
   16  the requirements of the Florida Insurance Code if the nonprofit
   17  religious organization:
   18         (a) Qualifies under Title 26, s. 501 of the Internal
   19  Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
   20         (b) Limits its participants to those members who share a
   21  common set of ethical or religious beliefs;
   22         (c) Acts as a facilitator among participants who have
   23  financial, physical, or medical needs to assist those with
   24  financial, physical, or medical needs in accordance with
   25  criteria established by the nonprofit religious organization;
   26         (d) Provides for the financial or medical needs of a
   27  participant through contributions from other participants, or
   28  through payments directly from one participant to another
   29  participant;
   30         (e) Provides amounts that participants may contribute, with
   31  no assumption of risk and no promise to pay:
   32         1. Among the participants; or
   33         2. By the nonprofit religious organization to the
   34  participants;
   35         (f) Provides a monthly accounting to the participants of
   36  the total dollar amount of qualified needs actually shared in
   37  the previous month in accordance with criteria established by
   38  the nonprofit religious organization; and
   39         (g) Conducts an annual audit that is performed by an
   40  independent certified public accounting firm in accordance with
   41  generally accepted accounting principles and that is made
   42  available to the public by providing a copy upon request or by
   43  posting on the nonprofit religious organization’s website; and
   44         (h) Does not market or sell health plans through agents
   45  licensed by the department under chapter 626.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.