Assembly Bill No. 393

CHAPTER 124

An act to amend Section 12019.5 of the Government Code, relating to state government.

[Approved by Governor August 19, 2013. Filed with Secretary of State August 19, 2013.]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 393, Cooley. Office of Business and Economic Development: Internet Web site.

Existing law requires the Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to ensure that the office’s Internet Web site contains information to assist an individual with the licensing, permitting, and registration requirements necessary to start a business. Existing law also requires a state agency that the Governor determines has licensing authority to provide accurate updated information about its licensing requirements, as provided. Existing law also authorizes the Governor to impose a reasonable fee, not to exceed the actual cost to provide the service, upon users of the Internet Web site.

This bill would require the Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to ensure that the office’s Internet Web site contains information on the fee requirements and fee schedules of state agencies and would also require a state agency that has licensing, permitting, or registration authority to provide accurate updated information about its fee schedule to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, as provided. This bill, with regard to the imposition of a reasonable fee upon users of the Internet Web site, would instead authorize the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to impose that fee.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Small business is a cornerstone of California’s economy.

(b) There are approximately 3.5 million small businesses in California and they account for 99 percent of the state’s employers.

(c) Nationwide, approximately one-half of all new small businesses survive five years or more and only one-third survive longer than 10 years.

SEC. 2.  

Section 12019.5 of the Government Code is amended to read:

12019.5.  

(a) The Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development shall ensure that the office’s Internet Web site contains information on the licensing, permitting, and registration requirements of state agencies, and shall include, but not be limited to, information that does all of the following:

(1) Assists individuals with identifying the type of applications, forms, or other similar documents an applicant may need.

(2) Provides a direct link to a digital copy of all state licensing, permitting, and registration applications, forms, or other similar documents where made available for download.

(3) Instructs individuals on how and where to submit applications, forms, or other similar documents.

(b) The Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development shall ensure that the office’s Internet Web site contains information on the fee requirements and fee schedules of state agencies, and shall include, but not be limited to, information that does all of the following:

(1) Assists individuals with identifying the types of fees and their due dates.

(2) Provides direct links to the fee requirements and fee schedules for all state agencies, where made available for download.

(3) Instructs individuals on how and where to submit payments.

(c) The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development shall ensure that the Internet Web site is user-friendly and provides accurate, updated information.

(d) (1) Each state agency that has licensing, permitting, or registration authority shall provide direct links to information about its licensing, permitting, and registration requirements and fee schedule to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

(2) A state agency shall not use the Internet Web site established under this section as the exclusive source of information for the public to access licensing requirements and fees for that agency.

(e) The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development may impose a reasonable fee, not to exceed the actual cost to provide the service, as a condition of accessing information on the Internet Web site established under subdivisions (a) and (b).



O

    96