Florida has earned its spot as the top state for protecting religious liberty, according to a new report.
The report, Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) index, was conducted by First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD). The report, which is the fourth annual index conducted by CRCD, tracks the laws in all 50 states and evaluates them through 47 legal protections. Some of these protections include education, health care, family and religious practice. Eight new protections were added to the index, including laws pertaining to medical conscience and foster parent conscience rights, as well as rights for counselors.
The RLS, which is the only comprehensive comparison report examining how religious liberty is protected in each state’s laws, gave Florida a score of 74.6% while Montana took second, with 70.6%.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the report at a press conference in Sarasota, Florida in New College, with Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel of First Liberty present, as well as Dr. Mark David Hall, the director of the project.
DeSantis celebrated Florida’s lead in the nation.
“Florida holds several #1 rankings, leading the nation in education, economy, and tourism—and now, Florida is #1 in religious liberty,” said 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.”
Shackelford commended DeSantis and the laws instilled in place.
“This year’s findings show clearly that states taking legislative action are pulling ahead,” said Shackelford. “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, Florida passed real laws that protect real people, and now the Sunshine State is the national leader in protecting religious liberty. It’s time for more states to follow Governor DeSantis’s example and adopt strong religious liberty laws.”
By enacting new religious exemptions, updated statutory safeguards and new conscience protections, Florida and Montana increased their momentum.
Florida strengthened its protections in 2023 when it passed legislature that defends healthcare providers who refuse procedures and services that violate religious and moral beliefs including abortion or sterilization.
After Florida and Montana, Illinois, Ohio and Mississippi ranked the highest, and the lowest ranked states were Vermont, Nebraska, Michigan, Wyoming and West Virginia. In 2024, Illinois ranked highest while Florida took second.
