Bill relieves volunteer church security guards of regulatory burden

Voluntary church, mosque, and synagogue security guards would not be burdened by state licensing requirements under a bill on its way to the governor.

SB 52 is sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, a Republican from Crestview, and in the House by Republican Reps. J.J. Grow from Iverness and Omar Blanco from Miami.

“The purpose of the bill is simple: to improve safety for congregations, reduce financial burdens on churches, and provide clear statutory authority so these volunteers operate responsibly and not informally,” Grow said on the House floor Wednesday.

Paid, private security officers are regulated by the state and must hold a Class D security officer license and Class G firearm license. The bill exempts volunteer security teams at churches, mosques, and synagogues from those licenses.

The D license requires 40 hours of training for unarmed guards and the G license requires 28 hours of firearm training.

The House passed the bill, 111-1, Wednesday afternoon. The Senate unanimously approved the bill last month after receiving unanimous approval in all three of its committees.

The sole “no” vote in the House was Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, a Democrat who served as mayor of Parkland during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in which 17 people died. She has opposed other measures regarding guns in public places, such as the post-FSU shooting package permitting professors to carry guns that passed two weeks ago.

Others already exempted from the regulatory statute are school crossing guards, insurance adjusters, and law enforcement officers working as security off duty.

“Houses of worship have not only always been sacred places, but safe places for praise and prayer and meditation and gathering, but unfortunately that safety can no longer be taken for granted,” Gaetz said during the bill’s first Senate committee stop. “It’s now common for synagogues, churches, mosques, to have armed security, often using professional licensed security personnel. Some congregations cannot afford to hire outside security services, so they’re using volunteers.”

According to the Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University, there have been nearly 400 homicide situations in churches since 2000 resulting in nearly 500 deaths.

The legislative intent established by the section imposing the regulations on paid security guards is: “The Legislature recognizes that untrained persons, unlicensed persons or businesses, or persons who are not of good moral character engaged in the private security, investigative, and recovery industries are a threat to the welfare of the public if placed in positions of trust. Regulation of licensed and unlicensed persons and businesses engaged in these fields is therefore deemed necessary.”

During committee hearings, security officials from churches said volunteers carrying guns are now operating in a legal gray area.

In 2021, legislators and the governor approved a bill, HB 259, that provides for licensed concealed carry at religious places, although those institutions have a right to prohibit firearms.