[PRESS RELEASE #48] Updates to Business Licensing

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[PRESS RELEASE #48] Updates to Business Licensing

Post by Solomon Cobb »

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31 October, 2022
San Andreas State Government

  • To follow on from yesterday's Press Release about new lease opportunities at the Mall, the Business Licensing Bureau is also happy to share with the public some changes they have been working on the last few months.

    BLB Official Regulatory Authority

    In the past few months, we have faced difficulties regarding the enforcement of Business Licensing regulations, and also unfortunate circumstances where our own procedures have failed us. To combat this, The BLB has been working with the Law Review Committee, and the Board of Commissioners to create an Official Regulatory Authority document that details the powers of the Business Licensing Bureau as granted and approved.

    This document is primarily an internal one, however, for the sake of transparency we are happy to share with you the finalized version they will be operating from for the foreseeable future:
    Document of Official Regulatory Authority
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    1. DOCUMENT OF OFFICIAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY
    • The authority of the Business Licensing Bureau and of the Director is shall be enshrined in this document of Official Regulatory Authority. This document details all powers of the Business Licensing Bureau as granted and approved by the Office of the Board of Commissioners:
    2. AUTHORITY STATEMENT
    1. The Business Licensing Bureau is authorized to conduct lawful inspections of businesses while their Business Registration is active, and up to 3 months after a business has closed. Inspections will be to ensure compliance with applicable business registration agreements, licensing agreements, and compliance with regulatory guidelines on the operation of business activities.
    2. The Business Licensing Bureau may either self-issue or request from a law enforcement body, that individuals receive Business Licensing fines for violations of BLB regulatory infractions. These infractions may either be defined within the penal code, outlined in a public regulatory document, or be a condition of failing to meet a regulatory requirement.
    3. The Business Licensing Bureau may work with law enforcement or the attorney general's office if the evidence is found that a crime has been committed, including any crimes specific to business registration & licensing. All evidence of a said crime will be forwarded to the appropriate agencies and may be used during civil or criminal trials.
    4. In the event that a regulatory requirement is breached, or there is an extraordinary reason for the public good in doing so, the Business Licensing Bureau may seize non-Compliant businesses & their associated properties. Examples of a just reason for seizing a property include; No Registration, No License, & Breaching Licensing Conditions. The Business Licensing Bureau will make an attempt to contact the offending business, prior to seizing any assets.
    5. An extraordinary power that may be utilized by the Business Licensing Bureau will be to seize Business Properties that have been abandoned for an unreasonable length of time. The Business Licensing Bureau will be authorized to verify this by conducting an inspection of the business entity. The bureau will make an attempt to contact the offending business, prior to seizing any assets. The Business Licensing Bureau will develop policies to determine when utilization of this power is appropriate.
    6. The Business Licensing Bureau shall have the authority to regulate the vending machine industry to ensure compliance with state laws and that operators are complying with the policies set forth for owning a vending machine as issued by the Bureau. These regulations may include but are not limited to the registration, licensing, placement, or limiting of goods & services sold within a vending machine. The Business Licensing Bureau may fine, report, seize, or otherwise issue infractions for any vending machine that does not meet the standards set forth by the Business Licensing Bureau.
    3. SIGNED & AUTHORIZED
    • Signed & Verified by;

      Director of the Business Licensing Bureau: Image

      Government Commissioner: Image
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    New Business Licenses

    We have faced numerous questions regarding what various licenses are required for different events and in an attempt to simplify the licensing process and remove redundant licenses, we will be announcing the following changes taking effect November 1st 2022.

    The following business licenses will be removed:
    • EEBL:04 - Small Games Chance
    • EEBL:03 - Entertainment
    The following business licenses will be added:
    EEBL:04 - Raffles
    EEBL:04 - Raffles
    Any business or person who operates a "raffle" where there is a required payment to purchase entry/entries into a draw of consideration for a prize or reward, the winner of which is determined solely by chance.
    • License Fee:
      * There is a one-off cost of $15,000 for this license.

      Restrictions & Requirements:
      * Ownership of non-residential or commercial property to securely store participants' contact information.
      * You must make public the number of tickets sold, who they were sold to and how many each person bought to anyone who wishes to audit the raffle without delay or further charge for a period of no more than 7 days after the raffle has been drawn.
      * You must host the drawing, where the actual draw itself, can be watched by the participants without further charge.
      ** Example: Participants must be able to actively see the name being randomly selected, such as via a random number machine or via a "spin the wheel" system.

      Violations:
      * Failure to securely store participants' information will result in a fine of $45,000.
      * Not being able to pay an advertised prize or reward, Forcing a customer to leave on the basis of winning too much without evidence of foul play or revoking a customer's entries without providing a refund will result in 30 months in prison and a fine of $65,000.
      * Evidence of cheating, rigging or fixing draws in which the customer can never win will result in 60 months in prison, along with a property removal and a business termination.
    EEBL:03 - Fight Club / Combat Sports
    EEBL:03 - Fight Club / Combat Sports
    Any business whose primary focus is on an entertaining experience that consists of a sport that could cause bodily harm or injury (I.e. Boxing, MMA, Dueling etc.) is required to obtain an EEBL:03 License in addition to an EEBL:02 license.
    • License Fee:
      * The monthly license cost is $5,000

      Restrictions & Requirements:
      * A commercial property that is purpose-built for the event (i.e. Boxing Ring with proper padding and protections for a boxing event)
      * Must have BLS Trained staff on duty throughout the event.
      * Event location must be properly equipped with either fixed or portable safety and first aid equipment.
      * CCTV Must be installed in all areas where "fights" are taking place to ensure the safety of both competitor and spectator

      Violations:
      * Hosting an event with no CPR-qualified staff on duty. Hosting an event without proper safety equipment or first aid equipment on site will result in a fine of $45,000.
      * Failing to have working CCTV installed as per licensing requirements will result in a fine of $45,000.
      * Having competitors working under the influence of alcohol or drugs will result in 30 months in prison and a fine of $60,000.
      * Neglecting to contact emergency services in the event of any severe injuries needing treatment will result in 100 months in prison and a fine of $60,000.
      * Permitting competitors to use weapons of any kind will result in 75 months in prison, along with a property removal and a business termination.
      * Sanctioning any fights to the death, and/or failure to contact emergency services in the event of a serious injury that resulted in a fatality due to lack of treatment will result in 75 months in prison, along with a property removal and a business termination.
    The reasoning behind the above changes is that the Entertainment license was one of the primary sources of confusion when combined with the event license. The small games of chance license was removed/modified due to raffles being the only small game of chance that was being run so the new wording should offer more clarity to those looking for fitting licenses.

    EEBL:04 - Raffles will be a citizen license as well as a business license for a one-off free. EEBL:03 - Fight Club / Combat Sports is being added to allow for extra regulation for the safety of the public and participants of these events being run.


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    Matthew Burns
    Director | Business Licensing Bureau
    San Andreas State Government
    [email protected]

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    Solomon Cobb, Esq.
    Director | Public Relations Bureau
    San Andreas State Government
    [email protected]
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