Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and a pair of lawmakers are pushing legislation that would tighten rules on non-profit organizations. The proposal comes in the wake of an alleged charity scam that helped cost the state's former lieutenant governor her job.
The measure is aimed at giving consumers more information about what charities are doing with contributions – especially those that raise large amounts of money.
The bill would bar groups that broke laws in other states from soliciting money in Florida, ban felons from raising money for charity, increase reporting requirements for larger charities, and require information from companies that solicit donations for charities over the phone.Much of the information would go into a statewide database that could be accessed online. Putnam says the current charity database Floridians have access to isn't enough.
"Florida really doesn’t have adequate protections for the consumer under the current law", Putnam said. "So, this would increase transparency for donors to know more about the organization that they are being asked to give to."
The proposal comes less than a year after state and federal authorities arrested 57 people associated with Saint Augustine-based Allied Veterans of the World. Allied Veterans was accused of posing as a charity while running a $300 million illegal gambling ring via dozens of Internet cafes around the state.
Former lieutenant governor Jennifer Carroll resigned in March amid revelations that a company she co-owned while serving in the Legislature provided consulting services for Allied Veterans. Carroll was never charged with any wrongdoing.
Legitimate charities are mostly lining up behind the proposed measure.