School Chaplains Proposed in House

A House Republican on Tuesday proposed allowing school districts and charters to have volunteer school chaplains. Rep. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, filed the proposal (HB 931) for consideration during the 2024 legislative session, which will start Jan. 9. Under the proposal, district school boards and charter-school governing boards would be required to vote by Jan. 1, 2025, about whether to approve policies allowing school chaplains. If school boards approve such policies, they would be required to publish lists of volunteer chaplains, including religious affiliations, on district websites. Parents would have to give written consent for their children to receive services from chaplains and would be able to select chaplains from the lists. A similar bill had not been filed in the Senate as of Tuesday afternoon.