| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to streamlining the issuance of licenses, |
| 3 | certifications, and registrations issued by state |
| 4 | agencies; providing a short title; providing legislative |
| 5 | findings and intent; requiring the Governor to direct |
| 6 | certain state agencies to jointly conduct a review of the |
| 7 | state's requirements for starting, licensing, and |
| 8 | operating a business and examine the feasibility of |
| 9 | establishing a single online portal for accessing such |
| 10 | requirements; providing review requirements; requiring the |
| 11 | Governor to submit a report and recommendations to the |
| 12 | Legislature by a specified date; providing an effective |
| 13 | date. |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Section 1. (1) This act may be cited as "Florida's One- |
| 18 | Stop Business Connect Act." |
| 19 | (2) The Legislature finds that: |
| 20 | (a) Individuals who start and operate businesses in this |
| 21 | state must interact with multiple state agencies to obtain |
| 22 | licenses, registrations, and tax certificates needed to legally |
| 23 | operate in the state. This process can be time-consuming and |
| 24 | frustrating for businesses and often requires business owners to |
| 25 | provide similar information to multiple agencies. |
| 26 | (b) State government requirements for starting and |
| 27 | operating a business in the state are often cumbersome and place |
| 28 | avoidable burdens on business owners. For several years, the |
| 29 | Legislature has recognized that these requirements do not serve |
| 30 | to promote the state as a business-friendly state that actively |
| 31 | supports the growth of jobs, businesses, and economic |
| 32 | opportunities. |
| 33 | (c) A phased, deliberative, and collaborative approach |
| 34 | should be considered to streamline and automate the state's |
| 35 | business processes; to simplify business requirements and |
| 36 | eliminate unnecessary business requirements; and to provide a |
| 37 | single point of entry for businesses to complete business |
| 38 | transactions with the state. |
| 39 | (3) It is the intent of the Legislature that the state |
| 40 | review all state requirements for starting, licensing, and |
| 41 | operating a business and examine the feasibility of |
| 42 | establishing an online connection that is easily accessible |
| 43 | through one of the state's official portals and that provides an |
| 44 | efficient and effective online, self-service method for an |
| 45 | individual to access state requirements for starting, licensing, |
| 46 | and operating a business. |
| 47 | (4)(a) The Governor shall direct the secretary or agency |
| 48 | head, or the designee of the secretary or agency head, of the |
| 49 | following state agencies to work jointly to review all state |
| 50 | requirements for starting, licensing, and operating a business |
| 51 | and examine the feasibility of establishing an online connection |
| 52 | that provides a single point of entry for businesses to complete |
| 53 | business transactions with the state: |
| 54 | 1. The Agency for Health Care Administration. |
| 55 | 2. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation. |
| 56 | 3. The Department of Children and Family Services. |
| 57 | 4. The Department of Health. |
| 58 | 5. The Department of State. |
| 59 | 6. The Department of Revenue. |
| 60 | 7. The Agency for Enterprise Information Technology. |
| 61 | (b) Other agencies that interact with businesses are |
| 62 | encouraged to participate, including, but not limited to, the |
| 63 | Department of Financial Services and the Department of |
| 64 | Agriculture and Consumer Services. |
| 65 | (c) To the extent that funds are available within the |
| 66 | participating agencies' budgets, the agencies shall: |
| 67 | 1. Compile a complete, categorical inventory of all |
| 68 | business licenses, certifications, and registrations required by |
| 69 | each participating agency, including information regarding |
| 70 | relevant laws and rules. |
| 71 | 2. Analyze the business licensing, certification, and |
| 72 | registration processes for each agency and identify processes |
| 73 | that disrupt workflow and result in duplication, waste, |
| 74 | unnecessary complexity, and errors and the root causes of those |
| 75 | errors. |
| 76 | 3. Recommend the standardization and automation of |
| 77 | business licensing, certification, and registration processes |
| 78 | where appropriate. |
| 79 | (d) By December 15, 2011, the Governor shall submit to the |
| 80 | President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of |
| 81 | Representatives a report and recommendations for establishing a |
| 82 | single online portal for accessing state requirements for |
| 83 | starting, licensing, and operating a business. |
| 84 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |