H0293 creates a new Office of Faith and Community within the Executive Office of the Governor and establishes a Governor-appointed liaison for faith and community. The bill states that the office is intended to strengthen connections between state government and faith-based, community-based, and nonprofit organizations, particularly those serving vulnerable populations such as foster children, kinship caregivers, veterans, people in poverty, people with disabilities, juvenile justice-involved youth, and vulnerable adults.
The office would be responsible for advocating for these organizations when dealing with state agencies, operating a dedicated Florida Faith and Community phone line, sharing information and resources from the Governor’s office and state agencies, using technology to connect organizations with community needs, and identifying bureaucratic or regulatory burdens that hinder their work. It also assigns the office administrative support duties for the existing Florida Faith-based and Community-based Advisory Council. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill adds a new statutory section, s. 14.311, Florida Statutes, and amends s. 14.31 to place the Florida Faith-based and Community-based Advisory Council under the administrative support of the new office. In practical terms, it reorganizes executive-branch coordination with faith-based and community-based groups, creates a formal liaison role in the Governor’s office, and directs state agencies to work more closely with these organizations. It does not create a new grant program or mandate direct services, but it does establish a new administrative structure for outreach, coordination, and burden review within state government.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill in committee, with unanimous approval in the House Government Operations Subcommittee and the House Health & Human Services Committee, and a strong 15-5 vote in the House State Affairs Committee. That pattern indicates generally favorable sentiment toward the bill’s goal of improving government collaboration with faith-based and community organizations. No committee transcripts were provided, so the record does not show detailed debate or amendments.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s creation of a government office focused specifically on faith-based organizations and its direction to identify regulatory burdens affecting those groups. Supporters appear to view the office as a way to improve service delivery, reduce bureaucracy, and better connect vulnerable residents with community resources. Any opposition likely centers on concerns about expanding executive-branch structure, preferential treatment or perceived entanglement with religion, and whether the new office duplicates existing coordination functions, though the provided record does not include specific objections from debate.