Business Regulation

Permitting | Immigration Reform | Fertilizer Ordinances | Public Notice Laws | Session Priorities Index

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Business regulation issues will once again take center stage during the 2012 Legislative Session. Governor Rick Scott continues his mission to reduce rules and regulations in government; and his agencies have undertaken the task of developing a list of more than 1,000 government rules and regulations to cut. In addition, Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-Heathrow), Chair of the House Rulemaking and Regulation Subcommittee, has recently launched a campaign to reach out to businesses for feedback on government rules that need to be reviewed.

Permitting

AIF SUPPORTS efforts to streamline permitting across all state agencies.

For the 2012 Legislative Session, AIF will focus on passage of HB 503 sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Panama City) and SB 716 by Sen. Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton). This major re-write of Florida’s environmental permitting law is critical for Florida’s employers because it will help accelerate the approval process and bring certainty to businesses dealing with state agencies.

Immigration Reform

AIF recognizes that immigration reform is an important issue for our state, but contends it should be dealt with at the federal level. AIF OPPOSES efforts to mandate the use of the E-Verify system by all employers.

Mandating E-Verify would have a negative effect for employers, especially those small business owners who do not have full-fledged human resources departments. Arizona-style immigration laws have the real potential to tarnish Florida’s reputation as a global trade hub. Fears of racial profiling could make it harder for businesses to recruit employees and could harm Florida’s tourism industry.

Fertilizer Ordinances

AIF SUPPORTS legislation that addresses the labyrinth of inconsistent, unscientific and arbitrary county and municipal ordinances related to the fertilization of urban turf, lawns, and landscapes.

Legislation (HB 421 and SB 604) has been filed by Rep. Jimmie Smith (R-Lecanto) and Sen. Charlie Dean (R-Inverness) that exempts Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) certified fertilizer applicators from the local ordinances which address lawn fertilization. The bill allows educated, trained and certified fertilizer applicators to continue practicing their trade without fear of being regulated out of existence.

Public Notice Laws

AIF SUPPORTS legislation that requires all public notices be printed in local newspapers and posted on the Internet.

The Internet alone does not provide sufficient public notice to all citizens and businesses of Florida, many of whom may not have access to a computer. Local newspapers, as currently defined in Florida Statue Chapter 50, offer citizens a single, convenient location to find all public notices as opposed to government entities publishing notices on their respective websites, which places this information in a myriad of different locations. This is especially important with regards to the foreclosure on property. In these difficult economic times, it is better to have more transparency than less, especially in light of the ongoing foreclosure crisis in Florida. To acknowledge the “digital divide” and ensure protection of due process, AIF recommends that no government entity required to provide notice of its actions to the public be the only entity that publishes that notice.

AIF will also engage in the area of Business Regulation by: Opposing any efforts to transfer the Division of Corporations from the Department of State to the Department of Revenue.

AIF Lobby Team Members Assigned to the Area of Business Regulation Keyna Cory Jose L. Gonzalez