School districts may allow school chaplains pending DeSantis’ approval

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – School districts may soon be able to have school chaplains, pending the approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The bill would allow school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy allowing volunteer school chaplains.

It requires parental consent for a child to see a specific chaplain. The chaplains would be listed on the school district’s website.

Reps. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, and Kimberly Daniels, D-Jacksonville, sponsored HB 931 in the House while Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, was the sponsor of the identical bill, SB 1044, in the Senate. The House passed the bill 89-25 on Feb. 22 and the Senate passed the bill 28-12 on Thursday.

School districts will be required to vote on whether to adopt a policy authorizing the school district or charter school to allow volunteer school chaplains by Jan. 1, 2025.

During the questions segment on the Senate floor, Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, asked Grall if there is any training requirement for chaplains.

Grall said the bill does not prescribe that training but “merely sets forth the minimum requirements the school district must meet to put a program in place.”

“Are you worried that not having any kind of training inaccurate information that could psychologically hurt these students?” Berman asked.

Grall said she is not worried and that the chaplains will be background checked. She said there is also a requirement that their names and potential religious affiliations be posted to the website.

Berman asked if there are any prohibitions on religion, such as satanism.

“Because of the free exercise of religion, this is not limiting to any specific religion and would allow any religion to participate in the program,” Grall said.

In debate, Berman said they are “setting up a whole system where people who don’t have any requirements, to actually be a chaplain, and be meeting with these people.”

“Just because the parent gets a list of a bunch of people who can do this doesn’t mean they’re qualified,” Berman said.

She said she is “worried” that this will “cause real psychological damage” to children.

In closing, Grall said she was surprised by the “controversy” because “chaplains in our public institutions for centuries.”

“There’s so many different ways in which somebody can train, so many different ways in which somebody can become qualified to be a chaplain. What we didn’t want to do in this legislation was be so prescriptive, so as to pick the right way to do it,” she said.

If signed by the governor, the bill will go into effect July 1.