The Florida Senate

606.01  Legislative findings and intent.

606.02  Short title.

606.03  Definitions.

606.04  Master business index.

606.05  Custodian.

606.06  Uniform business report.

606.01  Legislative findings and intent.--

(1)  The Legislature finds that:

(a)  As documented by the Governor's Single Business Identifier Interagency Task Force, state government places a heavy burden on the business community of this state through the requirement to obtain and maintain numerous licenses, permits, and registrations.

(b)  While such requirements are necessary to ensure the public safety and welfare, present methods for the business community to meet such obligations, as prescribed by law and administered and enforced by state agencies, are cumbersome and place an undue hardship on business entities in this state.

(c)  The potential exists for the state to more easily identify and eliminate duplicative or outdated licensing requirements and thereby reduce its cost of operation without jeopardizing the public safety or welfare.

(2)  It is the intent of this act to establish a master business index within the Department of State and to facilitate a reporting mechanism which consolidates and coordinates business entity licensing and reporting requirements whenever possible.

History.--s. 1, ch. 97-15.

606.02  Short title.--This act may be cited as the "Florida Business Coordination Act."

History.--s. 2, ch. 97-15.

606.03  Definitions.--As used in this act:

(1)  "Business entity" means any form of corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, joint venture, business trust, or sole proprietorship that conducts business in this state.

(2)  "Department" means the Department of State.

(3)  "Master business index" means that database maintained by the department which indexes all business entity records maintained by any state government agency.

(4)  "Participating agency" means an agency of government which elects to participate in the exchange of information through the master business index.

(5)  "Single business identifier" means the unique record number assigned to a business entity by the department in compliance with the provisions of this act.

(6)  "State agency" means any state government agency, department, or commission which has jurisdiction over business entities.

(7)  "Uniform business report" means an information gathering document distributed by the department to collect or update current data for the master business index.

History.--s. 3, ch. 97-15; s. 1, ch. 99-218.

606.04  Master business index.--

(1)(a)  The department shall create a master business index, using as an initial base the commercial regulation and registration program databases the department currently maintains. Each business entity shall be assigned a unique single business identifier for interagency use. The master business index shall serve as the state's central index of business entities and shall reflect a listing of all licenses and registrations held by a business with any participating agency.

(b)  Each participating agency, notwithstanding any other requirement of law, shall:

1.  Provide updated information regarding the status of a business entity which the agency regulates or licenses and on which the agency maintains records.

2.  Have the discretion to use the index as an alternative means of acquiring information about a business entity and, as necessary, use the information in the index to comply with the various requirements for registration, license issuance, renewal, or otherwise in the fulfillment of the agency's statutory responsibilities.

3.  Have the discretion to use the index in any instance as an authorized source for the creation or amendment of any official records.

(c)  The department is authorized to create, in conjunction with the master business index, a directory of business activity which will facilitate the exchange of information on Florida's business opportunities and further the international and domestic economic development efforts of this state.

(2)  The department is authorized to take the actions it deems necessary to integrate all nonbusiness entity or commercial registrations it maintains into the master business index such that all registrations maintained for a business entity are reflected in the index in a consolidated manner.

(3)  The department is authorized to enter into any formal agreement with federal, state, or local agencies to facilitate the registration of a business entity with that agency.

History.--s. 4, ch. 97-15; s. 2, ch. 99-218.

606.05  Custodian.--The Secretary of State is hereby designated the custodian of the master business index.

History.--s. 5, ch. 97-15.

606.06  Uniform business report.--The department may use the uniform business report:

(1)  To create index records and for referral to other federal, state, or local agencies as requested by a registrant.

(2)  As a substitute for any annual report or renewal filing required by chapters 495, 607, 608, 609, 617, 620, 621, and 865.

(3)  As the means for any registrant to apply for the issuance of a Federal Employer Identification Number, pursuant to any formal agreement with the Internal Revenue Service of the United States.

(4)  To comply with any formal agreement for information exchange or reciprocal issuance of a license permit or registration.

(5)  To facilitate the creation and maintenance of a database and a directory of businesses and any information regarding the activities of such businesses which will further the international and domestic economic development efforts of this state.

History.--s. 3, ch. 99-218.