{"id":121964,"date":"2026-02-23T03:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T08:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/florida-bill-would-let-churches-use-armed-volunteers-instead-of-licensed-security-121964"},"modified":"2026-02-23T03:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T08:55:24","slug":"florida-bill-would-let-churches-use-armed-volunteers-instead-of-licensed-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/florida-bill-would-let-churches-use-armed-volunteers-instead-of-licensed-security-121964","title":{"rendered":"Florida bill would let churches use armed volunteers instead of licensed security"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/house-of-representatives\/legislation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Florida bill<\/a> could allow churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship to use armed volunteers for security without requiring them to hold a professional security license.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Bill 52, which unanimously passed the chamber earlier this month, would authorize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/faith-values\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">houses of worship<\/a> to use armed volunteers instead of hiring licensed security guards, which supporters say would help cut costs while still keeping people safe.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s now common for synagogues, churches, and mosques to have armed security,&#8221; state Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored this measure, said to FOX 13. &#8220;Often using paid professional licensed security personnel.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/shooting-outside-salt-lake-city-lds-church-leaves-least-2-dead-6-injured-police\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>SHOOTING OUTSIDE SALT LAKE CITY LDS CHURCH LEAVES AT LEAST 2 DEAD, 6 INJURED: POLICE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The legislation now heads to the state House.<\/p>\n<p>This measure comes amid concerns about violence targeting places of worship across the country. In August, a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minnesota left two children dead and around 20 others injured. And in Mississippi last month, a suspect set fire to a synagogue, causing extensive damage and destroying sacred Torah scrolls.<\/p>\n<p>Elvis Piggott, the pastor at Triumph Church of Tampa, was arrested in October 2025 after allegedly pulling out a gun during a dispute following a Tampa City Council election forum. He later said he acted in self-defense.<\/p>\n<p>Piggott, reacting to reports of violence at houses of worship, said the threats are an unfortunate reality.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some of these things you would have never thought in a million years would happen inside of the place of worship,&#8221; he told FOX 13.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It can get very costly,&#8221; Piggot said of hiring licensed security. &#8220;Just for myself at an event could be roughly $900 to $1,000 for two hours.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If House lawmakers approve the legislation, it would then go to Republican Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/ron-desantis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ron DeSantis<\/a>. The changes would take effect in July if the governor signs the bill into law.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/truck-caught-camera-plowing-famed-australian-synagogue-alleged-hate-crime\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TRUCK CAUGHT ON CAMERA PLOWING INTO FAMED AUSTRALIAN SYNAGOGUE IN ALLEGED HATE CRIME<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, when a lot of people are congregated closely together, that\u2019s a high value target for bad guys,&#8221; Aaron Chappell, who co-founded Vulture Training Group, a company that provides security guard certification and training, told FOX 13.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Do you want somebody who is five or six minutes away?&#8221; he added. &#8220;Or somebody who\u2019s on scene when something happens.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/florida-bill-armed-volunteers-church-security\">Source &#8211; https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/florida-bill-armed-volunteers-church-security <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Florida bill could allow churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship to use armed volunteers for security without requiring them to hold a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_2902945987_2902945987":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[16563],"tags":[],"stock_ticker":[],"class_list":["post-121964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-market-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - 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