Florida Senate Passes Bill Exempting Churches from Emergency Orders
Local News Staff 
Churches and other religious institutions wouldn’t have to turn congregants away because of government orders during future emergencies, under a bill approved Thursday by the Florida Senate.
The Senate voted 31-3 to approve the measure (SB 254), which would prohibit emergency orders from “directly or indirectly” preventing religious institutions from conducting services or activities if businesses are allowed to stay open.
"It is born out of the pandemic, but not," sponsor Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, said when asked if the measure applies only to the COVID-19 pandemic. "It applies to all emergency orders that would come in. It would basically say if Publix is open, so is your place of worship. What it doesn't seek to do is what we've seen in some of the other states, where churches, synagogues and mosques were singled out for congregated activities."
