December 2009

In This Issue:

• Message From The Secretary
• Message From The Executive Director
• Accelerate Florida
• New License Application Center
• eNewsroom

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Message From The Interim Secretary

I was honored to be chosen by Governor Charlie Crist to serve as the Interim Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.  For those of you who may be wondering what’s next, I’d like to make a simple point: the agency is not about who is Secretary, it is about the people who work here, and the mission the Governor and the Legislature have assigned us.

With the 2010 Legislative Session nearing, it is important that we maintain the same momentum we built over the past several years to remove unnecessary burdens and streamline processes.  Input from you, our licensees, often provides the most enlightening insight into what changes may need to be made.  Over the next several months, I look forward to developing bills that will enhance Florida’s business environment and make a direct impact on how we serve you. 

I’m grateful for the opportunity to shift from the Chief of Staff to Interim Secretary, and I look forward to continuing to make enhancements to better protect the public and support Florida’s economy. 

Sincerely,

Charlie Liem
Interim Secretary

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Message From The Executive Director
Anthony B. Spivey

 

New Requirement to Report Criminal Convictions

During the 2009 Legislative Session the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 425 which became law on October 1, 2009. Beginning October 1, 2009, HB 425 requires all licensees to report to the department within 30 days of being convicted or found guilty of, or having plead nolo contendere or guilty to a crime in any jurisdiction. A licensee who fails to report that information, may be subject to disciplinary action, including fines, suspension or license revocation.

A Reminder on Advertising

When announcing an auction sale, please remember you are required to display your auctioneer license number and the auctioneer business license for the public to view. This and other rules pertinent to maintaining your license in good standing can be found in Chapter 61-G2 of the Florida Administrative Code by clicking on http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/auct/statutes.html.

Web Site Information

Please visit the board’s Web site at www.MyFloridaLicense.com > doing business with us > auctioneers. It contains important information about your profession. You can view agendas, minutes of meetings, board meeting schedules and much more.

Let the Buyer Beware

There is the saying, “You get what you pay for.” The same holds true for items being sold at auction. You can find some great deals in some instances, where you actually have a winning bid for an article worth much more than your buying price. However, those may be few and far between. Before buying items at auction, you should perform due diligence by inspecting the pieces offered for sale, and ask questions of the auctioneer as to the authenticity of the items. A reputable auctioneer should have no trouble proving the authenticity of the items offered for sale at auction. Then if enough time permits, you may also want to get the opinion of an independent appraiser before submitting a bid. There are times when an individual has paid for an item at auction and found out later the item actually appraised for far less than the winning bid, all because the item was not represented in its true form or value.

So the next time you plan to attend an auction, take some time and pre-inspect the items, if possible. If you believe the auctioneer misrepresented the value of an item, you can file a complaint by visiting the department’s Web site at www.MyFloridalicense.com.

Until next time,

Anthony B. Spivey, Executive Director 

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Accelerate Florida

In August of 2008, Governor Charlie Crist announced Accelerate Florida, his initiative to reduce or eliminate unnecessary regulation and to streamline licensing processes. To support the Governor’s initiative, the department reviewed its processes to determine where it could improve customer service and reduce regulatory barriers. The department submitted legislative proposals that became House Bill 425, which Governor Crist signed into law on June 16, 2009. HB 425 reduces regulatory requirements in order to assist individuals who are licensed or apply for licensure with the department. Its highlights include the following:

• Removes notarization requirements for all applications and renewals in order to facilitate electronic submittals. Applicants can now sign an attestation statement regarding the accuracy of their submissions;

• Eliminates the practical examination for barbers and restricted barbers, because practical theory is now included within the written examination;

• Eliminates the requirement for a qualified business license for construction companies, because companies must already have a licensed qualifying agent who is responsible for the company’s actions;

• Removes the requirement that applicants for registered contractor licenses provide a copy of a local occupational license, because most local jurisdictions require proof of a state contractor’s license before they will issue an occupational licenses;

• Eliminates requirements for building code administrator applicants and licensees in construction-related professions to complete a core curriculum course on Florida Building Code training approved by the Florida Building Commission, because the statewide Florida Building Code has been in effect since March 1, 2002;

• Removes the requirement for Certified Public Accountants to complete the Florida Laws & Rules Examination for license renewal and reactivation of an inactive license, because the Florida Laws & Rules requirement is fulfilled by the continuing education process;

• Clarifies statutes to exclude attorneys practicing as a licensed real estate broker or agent from continuing education requirements under Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, if they are members in good standing of the Florida Bar;

• Provides for greater consumer protection for clients who utilize talent agency services under part VII, Chapter 468, Florida Statutes; and

• Authorizes the Florida State Boxing Commission to adopt criteria for approval of certain amateur sanctioning organizations and to adopt health and safety standards for amateur mixed martial arts.

The department also implemented improvements that did not require legislative changes. A complete list of Accelerate Florida improvements is available on our Web site at www.MyFloridaLicense.com by clicking on “Accelerate Florida.”

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New License Application Center

In our continuing effort to provide better customer service, we have improved our Web site home page and created a user-friendly application center. We hope that these changes will make it easier for you to do business with us. The new features are intended to make the Web site more user-friendly and provide simple ways for our customers to find licensing information and requirements through detailed descriptions and helpful checklists.

The changes to the Web site include: new application features with a full list of license types, a list of detailed license requirements before each application, separate entry points for applications and renewals, and a new page called "What Services Require a DBPR License," which is designed to assist consumers with determining what services require a DBPR license.

Visit us at MyFloridaLicense.com.

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eNewsroom

Check out DBPR's eNewsroom, your source for important Department news and information. Here, you can watch public service announcements, read news releases, and subscribe to and flip through our publications.

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Visit us on the Web at www.MyFloridaLicense.com