
CV NEWS FEED // The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is reportedly pleased with new Florida legislation that allows volunteer chaplains to minister to public school students.
Though the Conference has not yet issued a statement taking an official stance on the legislation, the Conference’s associate director of communications, Michelle Taylor, told Catholic News Agency by email that “we recognize the good that chaplains can do in schools by helping students to address their spiritual and emotional needs.”
“We are pleased that parents will determine the services their children will receive in districts that choose to establish chaplaincy programs,” Taylor added, according to CNA.
CatholicVote previously reported that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Catholic, signed the legislation in mid-April.
The new law, which goes into effect on July 1, allows individual school districts or charter schools to engage volunteer chaplains to minister to students after obtaining parental consent.
“Faith leaders and civic organizations are important additional resources for students who may be facing challenges or need to build community and camaraderie,” DeSantis said in a statement. “I’m pleased to be able to expand the variety of options that students have at their disposal in school and we have no doubt that these options will enhance the experiences of our students.”
According to CNA, DeSantis said that some school districts had already been hosting chaplains, but others were unsure if it was legal to do the same. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida had opposed the bill, saying that it infringed upon students’ First Amendment right to freedom of religion.
CNA added that a school-chaplain bill was also enacted in Texas in June 2023, and 13 other states have introduced similar bills in their state legislatures.
