{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-12.510","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 12.510","heading":"Office for Faith -Based and Community Nonprofit Social Services","body":"established -- Mission -- Principles -- Duties.\n(1) The Office for Faith-Based and Community Nonprofit Social Services is established\nin the Office of the Governor. The office shall be admi nistered by a staff person\ndesignated by the Governor and shall have sufficient staff as required to implement\nthe provisions of KRS 12.500 to 12.520.\n(2) The office shall have primary responsibility to establish policies, priorities, and\npractices in the executive branch to enable and expand social service programs of\nfaith-based and community nonprofit organizations to the extent permitted by law.\n(3) The office and all state government agencies that administer social service programs\nsupported by government funding shall adhere to the following principles:\n(a) Government funding for social service programs shall be distributed in the\nmost effective and efficient manner possible;\n(b) No organization shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion,\nreligious practices, or beliefs in the administration or distribution of\ngovernment funding for social service programs;\n(c) No faith-based or community nonprofit organization providing social service\nprograms in whole or in part with government funding sh all discriminate\nagainst beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries on the basis of religion,\nreligious practices, beliefs, or refusal to hold a religious belief or to participate\nin a religious practice, or as otherwise provided by law;\n(d) All programs inv olving government funding to faith -based and nonprofit\ncommunity organizations for social service programs shall be implemented in\naccordance with the United States Constitution, the Constitution of Kentucky,\nand all amendments thereto. Organizations that engage in religious worship,\nreligious instruction, and proselytization that receive government funding for\nsocial service programs shall offer those social service programs separately in\ntime and location, and participation in such religious activities by  any\nbeneficiary or potential beneficiary of a government -funded social service\nprogram shall be strictly voluntary;\n(e) Faith-based and nonprofit community organizations that receive government\nfunding may retain their autonomy, expression, or religious character and may\ncontinue practicing or expressing religious beliefs. Organizations may use\nexisting facilities, in accordance with paragraph (d) of this subsection, without\nremoving or altering religious icons, art, scripture, or symbols and may retain\nreligious terms in its name and other documents governing the organization.\nGovernment funding shall not be used to support inherently religious\nactivities, including but not limited to worship, religious instruction, and\nproselytizing; and\n(f) Faith-based and nonprofit community organizations that receive government\nfunding for social service programs shall comply with the same requirements\nas any other entity that receives government funding for social service\nprograms is subject to, including but not limit ed to timely progress and final\nreports, audits, inspection of premises, recordkeeping and accounting\npractices, program evaluation, and outcome studies.\n(4) The office shall:\n(a) Develop and implement policies affecting faith -based and community\nnonprofit organizations to increase the capacity of those organizations to\nprovide social services through executive action, legislative proposals,\nadministrative regulations, and government and private funding;\n(b) Review and coordinate policies affecting the oppo rtunities for government\nfunding for social service programs by faith -based and other community\nnonprofit organizations throughout all related agencies of state government;\n(c) Implement and coordinate public education activities to increase faith -based\nand community nonprofit social service program initiatives through\nvolunteerism, special projects, pilot or demonstration projects, and public -\nprivate partnerships;\n(d) Encourage private charitable giving to support faith -based and community\nnonprofit organizations and social service programs;\n(e) Provide information and legal education to state and local public officials and\npolicymakers to improve opportunities for gove rnment funding for social\nservice programs by faith-based and community nonprofit organizations;\n(f) Provide education, training, and technical assistance to increase the capacity\nand expertise of faith -based and community nonprofit organizations to\neffectively manage government-funded social service programs; and\n(g) Provide training and technical assistance to enable faith-based and community\nnonprofit organizations to conduct program evaluation and outcome studies\non social services provided with government funding.","path":["KRS Chapter 12"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=685","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:29Z","sha256":"2debafd5464773055e7475a525a681998e048f36cba23273e5b0deeed7e0bea9","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-12.505","next":"us-ky/krs-12.515"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}