The Florida Senate

496.405  Registration statements by charitable organizations and sponsors.--

(1)(a)  A charitable organization or sponsor, unless exempted pursuant to s. 496.406, which intends to solicit contributions in this state by any means or have funds solicited on its behalf by any other person, charitable organization, sponsor, commercial co-venturer, or professional solicitor, or that participates in a charitable sales promotion or sponsor sales promotion, must, prior to engaging in any of these activities, file an initial registration statement, and a renewal statement annually thereafter, with the department.

(b)  Any changes in the information submitted on the initial registration statement or the last renewal statement must be updated annually on a renewal statement provided by the department on or before the date that marks one year after the date the department approved the initial registration statement as provided in this section. The department shall annually provide a renewal statement to each registrant by mail at least 60 days before the renewal date.

(c)  A charitable organization or sponsor that is required to file an initial registration statement or annual renewal statement may not, prior to approval of its statement by the department in accordance with subsection (7), solicit contributions or have contributions solicited on its behalf by any other person, charitable organization, sponsor, commercial co-venturer, or professional solicitor, or participate in a charitable sales promotion or sponsor sales promotion.

(d)  For good cause shown, the department may extend the time for the filing of an annual renewal statement or financial report for a period not to exceed 60 days, during which time the previous registration remains in effect.

(e)  In no event shall the registration of a charitable organization or sponsor continue in effect after the date the organization should have filed, but failed to file, its financial report in accordance with this section and s. 496.407. The organization may not file a renewal statement until it has filed the required financial report with the department.

(2)  The initial registration statement must be submitted on a form prescribed by the department, signed under oath by the treasurer or chief fiscal officer of the charitable organization or sponsor, and include the following information or material:

(a)  A copy of the financial report or Internal Revenue Service Form 990 and Schedule A or Internal Revenue Service Form 990-EZ required under s. 496.407 for the immediately preceding fiscal year. A newly organized charitable organization or sponsor with no financial history must file a budget for the current fiscal year.

(b)  The name of the charitable organization or sponsor, the purpose for which it is organized, the name under which it intends to solicit contributions, and the purpose or purposes for which the contributions to be solicited will be used.

(c)  The name of the individuals or officers who are in charge of any solicitation activities.

(d)  A statement of whether:

1.  The charitable organization or sponsor is authorized by any other state to solicit contributions;

2.  The charitable organization or sponsor or any of its officers, directors, trustees, or principal salaried executive personnel have been enjoined in any jurisdiction from soliciting contributions or have been found to have engaged in unlawful practices in the solicitation of contributions or administration of charitable assets;

3.  The charitable organization or sponsor has had its registration or authority denied, suspended, or revoked by any governmental agency, together with the reasons for such denial, suspension, or revocation; and

4.  The charitable organization or sponsor has voluntarily entered into an assurance of voluntary compliance or agreement similar to that set forth in s. 496.420, together with a copy of that agreement.

(e)  The names, street addresses, and telephone numbers of any professional solicitor, professional fundraising consultant, and commercial co-venturer who is acting or has agreed to act on behalf of the charitable organization or sponsor, together with a statement setting forth the specific terms of the arrangements for salaries, bonuses, commissions, expenses, or other remunerations to be paid the fundraising consultant and professional solicitor.

(f)  With initial registration only, a statement showing when and where the organization was established and the tax-exempt status of the organization together with a copy of any federal tax exemption determination letter. If the charitable organization or sponsor has not received a federal tax exemption determination letter at the time of initial registration, a copy of such determination must be filed with the department within 30 days after receipt of the determination by the charitable organization or sponsor. If the organization is subsequently notified by the Internal Revenue Service of any challenge to its continued entitlement to federal tax exemption, the charitable organization or sponsor shall notify the department of this fact within 30 days after receipt.

(g)  The following information must be filed with the initial registration statement and must be updated when any change occurs in the information that was previously filed with the initial registration statement:

1.  The principal street address and telephone number of the organization and the street address and telephone numbers of any offices in this state or, if the charitable organization or sponsor does not maintain an office in this state, the name, street address, and telephone number of the person that has custody of its financial records. The parent organization that files a consolidated registration statement on behalf of its chapters, branches, or affiliates must additionally provide the street addresses and telephone numbers of all such locations in this state.

2.  The names and street addresses of the officers, directors, trustees, and the principal salaried executive personnel.

3.  The date when the charitable organization's or sponsor's fiscal year ends.

4.  A list or description of the major program activities.

5.  The names, street addresses, and telephone numbers of the individuals or officers who have final responsibility for the custody of the contributions and who will be responsible for the final distribution of the contributions.

(3)  Each chapter, branch, or affiliate of a parent organization that is required to register under this section must either file a separate registration statement and financial report or must report the required information to its parent organization, which shall then file, on a form prescribed by the department, a consolidated registration statement for the parent organization and its Florida chapters, branches, and affiliates. A consolidated registration statement filed by a parent organization must include or be accompanied by financial reports as specified in s. 496.407 for the parent organization and each of its Florida chapters, branches, and affiliates that solicited or received contributions during the preceding fiscal year. However, if all contributions received by chapters, branches, or affiliates are remitted directly into a depository account which feeds directly into the parent organization's centralized accounting system from which all disbursements are made, the parent organization may submit one consolidated financial report on a form prescribed by the department.

(4)(a)  Every charitable organization, sponsor, or parent organization filing on behalf of one or more chapters, branches, or affiliates that is required to register under this section must pay a single registration fee. A parent organization filing on behalf of one or more chapters, branches, or affiliates shall total all contributions received by the chapters, branches, or affiliates included in the registration statement to determine registration fees. Fees shall be assessed as follows:

1.a.  Ten dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal or calendar year were less than $5,000; or

b.  Ten dollars, if the contributions actually raised or received from the public during the immediately preceding fiscal year by such organization or sponsor are no more than $25,000 and the fundraising activities of such organization or sponsor are carried on by volunteers, members, officers, or permanent employees, who are not compensated, primarily to solicit such contributions, provided no part of the assets or income of such organization or sponsor inures to the benefit of or is paid to any officer or member of such organization or sponsor or to any professional fundraising consultant, professional solicitor, or commercial co-venturer;

2.  Seventy-five dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal year were $5,000 or more, but less than $100,000;

3.  One hundred twenty-five dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal year were $100,000 or more, but less than $200,000;

4.  Two hundred dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal year were $200,000 or more, but less than $500,000;

5.  Three hundred dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal year were $500,000 or more, but less than $1 million;

6.  Three hundred fifty dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal year were $1 million or more, but less than $10 million;

7.  Four hundred dollars, if the contributions received for the last fiscal year were $10 million or more.

(b)  A charitable organization or sponsor which fails to file a registration statement by the due date may be assessed an additional fee for such late filing. The late filing fee shall be $25 for each month or part of a month after the date on which the annual renewal statement and financial report were due to be filed with the department.

(c)  All registration fees must be paid to the department and deposited into the General Inspection Trust Fund to be used to pay the costs incurred in administering and enforcing ss. 496.401-496.424. Money deposited in the fund and allocated for the purposes of ss. 496.401-496.424 must be disbursed by the department for the funding of activities conducted by the department pursuant to ss. 496.401-496.424, inclusive.

(5)  Each chapter, branch, or area office of a charitable organization or sponsor must independently comply with the provisions of this section unless such entity is exempt from registration or has reported the required information to its parent organization for filing of a consolidated registration statement.

(6)  An independent member charity of a federated fundraising organization must independently comply with the provisions of this section unless specifically exempted.

(7)  The department must examine each initial registration statement or annual renewal statement and the supporting documents filed by a charitable organization or sponsor and shall determine whether the registration requirements are satisfied. Within 10 working days after its receipt of a statement, the department must examine the statement, notify the applicant of any apparent errors or omissions, and request any additional information the department is allowed by law to require. Failure to correct an error or omission or to supply additional information is not grounds for denial of the initial registration or annual renewal statement unless the department has notified the applicant within the 10-working-day period. The department must approve or deny each statement, or must notify the applicant that the activity for which she or he seeks registration is exempt from the registration requirement, within 10 working days after receipt of the initial registration or annual renewal statement or the requested additional information or correction of errors or omissions. Any statement that is not approved or denied within 10 working days after receipt of the requested additional information or correction of errors or omissions is approved. Within 7 working days after receipt of a notification that the registration requirements are not satisfied, the charitable organization or sponsor may request a hearing. The hearing must be held within 7 working days after receipt of the request, and any recommended order, if one is issued, must be rendered within 3 working days of the hearing. The final order must then be issued within 2 working days after the recommended order. If a recommended order is not issued, the final order must be issued within 5 working days after the hearing. The proceedings must be conducted in accordance with chapter 120, except that the time limits and provisions set forth in this subsection prevail to the extent of any conflict.

History.--ss. 5, 26, ch. 91-208; s. 2, ch. 93-174; ss. 2, 19, ch. 94-287; s. 5, ch. 95-372; s. 559, ch. 97-103; s. 1, ch. 97-250; s. 4, ch. 98-299.