Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Florida Ranks #1 for Religious Liberty in the U.S.

SARASOTA, Fla.—Today, Governor DeSantis announced Florida has earned the #1 spot on the First Liberty Institute's Religious Liberty in the States Index. The "Religious Liberty in the States Index" is a comprehensive, peer-reviewed comparison of how all 50 states protect religious liberty through law. The index offers the most comprehensive legal analysis of religious liberty protections across all 50 states, evaluating factors such as religious exemptions, protections for religious organizations and schools, and the freedom of individuals to live out their faith in both public and private life.

"Florida holds several #1 rankings, leading the nation in education, economy, and tourism—and now, Florida is #1 in religious liberty," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "We're grateful for this recognition from the First Liberty Institute, which has just named Florida the #1 state in the nation for protecting religious liberty. Religious liberty is critical to the foundation and function of America, and I am proud that Florida excels in protecting this right."

Florida has championed policies and legislation that have protected religious freedom for Floridians:

• In 2021, Governor DeSantis signed historic legislation to protect parental rights in education. The Parents' Bill of Rights explicitly provides parents with the right to direct the upbringing and the moral or religious training of his or her minor child and allows parents to object to instructional materials that violate their religious beliefs.
• In 2021, Governor DeSantis signed legislation to require teachers in first-period classrooms in each Florida public school to set aside 1 to 2 minutes daily for a moment of silence, for prayer or other religious observance.
• In 2022, Governor DeSantis signed legislation to protect houses of worship, deeming them as essential and making it so that no emergency order authorized under the State Emergency Management Act may directly or indirectly prohibit religious institutions from conducting regular services or activities.
• In 2023, Governor DeSantis signed the strongest legislation in the nation for medical freedom. The landmark legislative package safeguarded residents' freedom by ensuring no patient is forced by a business, school, or government entity to undergo testing, wear a mask, or be vaccinated for COVID-19. This also included Physicians Freedom of Speech, establishing the right for a health care provider and health care payor to decline participation in any health care service, treatment, and research that violates their sincerely held religious, moral or ethical beliefs.
• In 2023, Governor DeSantis signed legislation to expand school choice programs to allow students in Florida to attend whatever school best fits their needs, including religious private schools.
• In 2023, Governor DeSantis signed legislation that protected the right of sports teams to provide opening remarks, including prayers, before high school athletic contests.
• In 2024, Governor DeSantis ensured order was kept on Florida's university and college campuses last year and protected Jewish students from religious-based harassment when we saw pro-Hamas protesters try to set up encampments at our schools and harass students for being Jewish. While other states allowed their college campuses to be vandalized and taken over by antisemitic agitators, Florida held the line.
• In 2024, Governor DeSantis signed HB 931 to establish a statewide school chaplain program and authorized school districts and charter schools to allow volunteer chaplains to be on school campuses and provide additional counseling support to students.

Florida has celebrated many #1s in state rankings:

• #1 Economy by U.S. News & World Report in 2024 and 2025, and #1 by CNBC for three consecutive years.
• #1 in Higher Education by U.S. News & World Report for nine consecutive years.
• #1 in Education Freedom by the Heritage Foundation for the three consecutive years.
• #1 in Education Freedom by the ALEC Index of State Education Freedom.
• #1 on the Parent Power Index from the Center for Education Reform, reflecting its robust school choice options, including charter schools, private school scholarships and virtual education programs.
• #1 in New Business Formations since 2019, with more than 3.7 million new businesses formed in that time.
• #1 for Entrepreneurship by The Digital Project Manager in 2025.
• The fastest-growing state in the nation according to the U.S. Census Bureau, including home to 4 of the top 10 Fastest-Growing Metro Areas from 2022-2023.
• #1 State to Retire by WalletHub (2025)
• #1 State for Talent Attraction by Lightcast (2023)
• #1 on the 2025 EdChoice Friedman Index for having the most robust school choice options in the nation.
• #1 Vacation Destination for Americans for the 6th time

Florida also outperforms other states with a Triple-A (AAA) rating from every credit rating agency—Fitch, S&P, and Moody's for several years running.

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For more information about the First Liberty Institute's Religious Liberty in the States Index, visit religiouslibertyinthestates.com.

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