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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the universal regulatory sandbox; 2
creating part XVI of ch. 288, F.S.; providing purpose; 3
providing definitions; creating the Office of 4
Regulatory Relief within the Department of Economic 5
Opportunity; specifying the duties of the office; 6
creating the General Regulatory Sandbox Program 7
Advisory Committee; providing for membership of the 8
committee; creating the General Regulatory Sandbox 9
Program; providing requirements for applications; 10
providing timelines and criteria for reviewing 11
applications; requiring the office to consult with 12
specified entities before admitting an applicant into 13
the regulatory sandbox; providing for written 14
agreements with sandbox participants; exempting denial 15
of an application from certain review or specified 16
laws; providing grounds for denial of an application; 17
requiring public notice of approval of an applicant; 18
requiring the office to post certain information on 19
its website; exempting sandbox participants from 20
certain enforcement for a specified period; specifying 21
limits to such exemption; authorizing the office to 22
terminate participation in the regulatory sandbox; 23
providing certain immunity to the office and its 24
employees; providing for consumer protection; 25
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providing requirements for exiting the regulatory 26
sandbox; providing for extension of agreements; 27
providing recordkeeping and reporting requirements; 28
requiring the office to maintain a specified web page; 29
amending s. 20.60, F.S.; conforming provisions to 30
changes made by the act; providing an effective date. 31
32
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 33
34
Section 1. Part XVI of chapter 288, Florida Statutes, 35
consisting of ss. 288.9971 -288.9983, is created to read: 36
PART XVI 37
UNIVERSAL REGULATORY SANDBOX 38
288.9971 Purpose.—This part establishes a universal 39
regulatory sandbox, which allows businesses, under the 40
observation of regulators, to trial innovative products, 41
services, and business models while temporarily receiving a 42
waiver or suspension of inapplicable laws or regulations. 43
288.9972 Definitions.—As used in this part, the term: 44
(1) "Advisory committee" means the General Regulatory 45
Sandbox Program Advisory Committee created in s. 288.9974. 46
(2) "Applicable agency" means a department or agency of 47
the state that regulates a business activit y and persons engaged 48
in such business activity, including the issuance of licenses or 49
other types of authorization, which the office determines would 50
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otherwise regulate a sandbox participant. 51
(3) "Applicant" means a person who applies to participate 52
in the regulatory sandbox. 53
(4) "Blockchain technology" means the use of a digital 54
database containing records of financial transactions, which can 55
be simultaneously used and shared within a decentralized, 56
publicly accessible network and can record transacti ons between 57
two parties in a verifiable and permanent way. 58
(5) "Consumer" means a person who purchases or otherwise 59
enters into a transaction or agreement to receive an offering 60
pursuant to a demonstration by a sandbox participant. 61
(6) "Demonstrate" or "demonstration" means to temporarily 62
provide an offering in accordance with the General Regulatory 63
Sandbox Program created in s. 288.9975. 64
(7) "Director" means the director of the Office of 65
Regulatory Relief. 66
(8) "Financial product or service" has the same meaning as 67
in s. 559.952(3). 68
(9) "Innovation" means the use or incorporation of a new 69
or existing idea, a new or emerging technology, or a new use of 70
existing technology, including blockchain technology, to address 71
a problem, provide a benefit, or otherwise offer a product, 72
production method, or service. 73
(10) "Insurance product or service" means an insurance 74
product or insurance service that requires state licensure, 75
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registration, or other authorization under the Florida Insurance 76
Code, including an insurance product or insurance service that 77
includes a business model, delivery mechanism, or element that 78
requires a license, registration, or other authorization to 79
engage in an insurance business, act as an insurance producer or 80
consultant, or engage in insurance adjusting. 81
(11) "Offering" means a product, production method, or 82
service, including a financial product or service or an 83
insurance product or service, that includes an innovation. 84
(12) "Office" means the Office of Regulatory Relief 85
created in s. 288.9973. 86
(13) "Product" means a commercially distributed good that 87
is: 88
(a) Tangible personal property. 89
(b) The result of a production process. 90
(c) Passed through the distribution channel before 91
consumption. 92
(14) "Production" means the m ethod or process of creating 93
or obtaining a good, which may include assembling, breeding, 94
capturing, collecting, extracting, fabricating, farming, 95
fishing, gathering, growing, harvesting, hunting, manufacturing, 96
mining, processing, raising, or trapping a g ood. 97
(15) "Regulatory sandbox" means the General Regulatory 98
Sandbox Program created in s. 288.9975, which allows a person to 99
temporarily demonstrate an offering under a waiver or suspension 100
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of one or more state laws or regulations. 101
(16) "Sandbox partic ipant" means a person whose 102
application to participate in the regulatory sandbox is approved 103
in accordance with this part. 104
(17) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Economic 105
Opportunity. 106
(18) "Service" means any commercial activity, duty, or 107
labor performed for another person. 108
288.9973 Office of Regulatory Relief. – 109
(1) There is created within the Department of Economic 110
Opportunity the Office of Regulatory Relief. 111
(2)(a) The office shall be administered by a director. 112
(b) The director shall report to the secretary and may 113
appoint staff subject to the approval of the secretary. 114
(3) The office shall: 115
(a) Administer this part. 116
(b) Administer the regulatory sandbox. 117
(c) Act as a liaison between private businesses and 118
applicable agencies to ident ify laws or regulations that could 119
be waived or suspended under the regulatory sandbox. 120
(4) The office may: 121
(a) Review laws and regulations that may unnecessarily 122
inhibit the creation and success of new companies or industries 123
and provide recommendatio ns to the Governor and the Legislature 124
on modifying or eliminating such laws and regulations. 125
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(b) Create a framework for analyzing the risk level to the 126
health, safety, and financial well -being of consumers related to 127
permanently modifying or eliminating or temporarily waiving or 128
suspending laws and regulations inhibiting the creation or 129
success of new and existing companies or industries. 130
(c) Propose potential reciprocity agreements between 131
states that use or are proposing to use similar regulatory 132
sandboxes as created in this part or the Financial Technology 133
Sandbox created in s. 559.952. 134
(d) In accordance with chapter 120 and this part, adopt 135
rules regarding: 136
1. Administering the regulatory sandbox, including 137
adopting rules regarding the applicati on process and the 138
reporting requirements of sandbox participants. 139
2. Cooperating and consulting with other applicable 140
agencies that administer regulatory sandboxes. 141
288.9974 General Regulatory Sandbox Program Advisory 142
Committee.— 143
(1) There is created the General Regulatory Sandbox 144
Program Advisory Committee. 145
(2) The advisory committee shall consist of 11 members as 146
follows: 147
(a) Six members who represent business interests from a 148
variety of industries, appointed by the director. 149
(b) Three members who represent applicable agencies 150
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regulating businesses, appointed by the director. 151
(c) One member of the Senate, appointed by the President 152
of the Senate. 153
(d) One member of the House of Representatives, appointed 154
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 155
(3)(a) Subject to paragraph (b), members of the advisory 156
committee who are not legislators shall be appointed to 4 -year 157
terms. 158
(b) Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (a), the 159
director may adjust the length of terms of appoi ntments and 160
reappointments to the advisory committee so that approximately 161
half of the advisory committee is appointed every 2 years. 162
(4) The director shall select a chair of the advisory 163
committee on an annual basis. 164
(5) A majority of the members of t he advisory committee 165
constitutes a quorum for the purpose of conducting advisory 166
committee business, and the affirmative vote of a majority of 167
the members constitutes the official action of the advisory 168
committee. 169
(6) The advisory committee shall advise and make 170
recommendations to the office. 171
(7) The office shall provide administrative staff support 172
for the advisory committee. 173
(8) A member may not receive compensation or benefits for 174
the member's service, but a member appointed under paragraph 175
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(2)(a) may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance 176
with s. 112.061. 177
288.9975 General Regulatory Sandbox Program; application 178
requirements.— 179
(1) There is created in the office the General Regulatory 180
Sandbox Program. 181
(2) In administering the regul atory sandbox, the office: 182
(a) Shall consult with each applicable agency. 183
(b) Shall enable a person to obtain legal protections and 184
limited access to the market to demonstrate an offering without 185
obtaining a license or other authorization that might ot herwise 186
be required. 187
(c) May enter into agreements with or adopt the best 188
practices of corresponding federal regulatory agencies or 189
agencies in other states that are administering similar 190
programs. 191
(d) May consult with businesses about existing or 192
potential proposals for the regulatory sandbox. 193
(3)(a) An applicant may contact the office to request a 194
consultation regarding the regulatory sandbox before submitting 195
an application. 196
(b) The office may provide assistance to an applicant in 197
preparing an application for submission. 198
(4) An applicant shall submit an application to the 199
office, in a form prescribed by the office, that: 200
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(a) Confirms the applicant is subject to the jurisdiction 201
of the state. 202
(b) Confirms the applicant has established a physi cal or 203
virtual location in the state, from which the demonstration of 204
an offering shall be developed and performed and where all 205
required records, documents, and data shall be maintained. 206
(c) Contains relevant personal and contact information for 207
the applicant, including the applicant's full legal name, 208
address, telephone number, e -mail address, website address, and 209
any other information required by the office. 210
(d) Discloses any criminal convictions of the applicant or 211
of any person who seeks to partici pate with the applicant in the 212
demonstration of an offering. 213
(e) Contains a description of the offering to be 214
demonstrated, including statements regarding: 215
1. How the offering is subject to licensing, legal 216
prohibition, or other authorization requireme nts outside of the 217
regulatory sandbox. 218
2. Each law or regulation that the applicant seeks to have 219
waived or suspended while participating in the regulatory 220
sandbox. 221
3. How the offering would benefit consumers. 222
4. How the offering is different from other available 223
offerings. 224
5. What risks might exist for consumers who use or 225
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purchase the offering. 226
6. How participating in the regulatory sandbox would 227
enable a successful demonstration of the offering. 228
7. A description of the proposed demonstratio n plan, 229
including estimated time periods for beginning and ending the 230
demonstration. 231
8. Recognition that the applicant shall be subject to all 232
laws and regulations pertaining to the applicant's offering 233
after conclusion of the demonstration. 234
9. How the applicant plans to end the demonstration and 235
protect consumers if the demonstration fails. 236
(f) Lists each applicable agency that the applicant knows 237
regulates the applicant's business. 238
(g) Provides any other required information as determined 239
by the office. 240
(5) An applicant shall file a separate application for 241
each offering that the applicant wishes to demonstrate. 242
(6) After an application is filed, the office shall: 243
(a) Classify, as a protected record, any part of the 244
application that the offic e determines is nonpublic, 245
confidential information that if disclosed would result in 246
actual economic harm to the applicant in accordance with s. 247
288.9984. 248
(b) Consult with each applicable agency that regulates the 249
applicant's business regarding whether more information is 250
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needed from the applicant. 251
(c) Seek any additional information from the applicant 252
that the office determines is necessary. 253
(7) No later than 5 business days after the day on which a 254
complete application is received by the office, th e office 255
shall: 256
(a) Review the application and refer the application to 257
each applicable agency that regulates the applicant's business. 258
(b) Provide to the applicant: 259
1. An acknowledgment of receipt of the application. 260
2. The identity and contact information of each applicable 261
agency to which the application has been referred for review. 262
(c) Provide public notice, on the office's website and 263
through other appropriate means, of each law or regulation that 264
the office is considering suspending or wa iving pursuant the 265
application. 266
(8)(a) Subject to paragraphs (c) and (g), no later than 30 267
days after the day on which an applicable agency receives a 268
complete application for review, the applicable agency shall 269
provide a written report to the director t hat includes the 270
applicable agency's findings. 271
(b) The written report shall: 272
1. Describe any identifiable, likely, and significant harm 273
to the health, safety, or financial well -being of consumers 274
against which the relevant law or regulation protects. 275
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2. Make a recommendation to the office that the applicant 276
be admitted or denied entrance into the regulatory sandbox. 277
(c)1. The applicable agency may request an additional 5 278
business days to deliver the written report by providing notice 279
to the director, which request shall automatically be granted. 280
2. The applicable agency may only request one extension 281
per application. 282
(d) If the applicable agency recommends an applicant be 283
denied entrance into the regulatory sandbox, the written report 284
shall include a description of the reasons for the 285
recommendation, including why a temporary waiver or suspension 286
of the relevant laws or regulations would potentially 287
significantly harm the health, safety, or financial well -being 288
of consumers and the likelihood of s uch harm occurring. 289
(e) If the applicable agency determines that the 290
consumer's health, safety, or financial well -being can be 291
protected through less restrictive means than the existing laws 292
or regulations, the applicable agency shall provide a 293
recommendation of how that can be achieved. 294
(f) If an applicable agency fails to deliver a written 295
report as required in this subsection, the director shall assume 296
that the applicable agency does not object to the temporary 297
waiver or suspension of the relevant laws or regulations for an 298
applicant seeking to participate in the regulatory sandbox. 299
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, 300
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an applicable agency may by written notice to the office: 301
1. Within the 30 days after the day on which the 302
applicable agency receives a complete application for review, or 303
within 35 days if an extension has been requested by the 304
applicable agency, reject an application if the applicable 305
agency determines, in the applicable agency's sole discretion, 306
that the applicant's offering fails to comply with standards or 307
specifications: 308
a. Required by federal law or regulation; or 309
b. Previously approved for use by a federal agency; or 310
2. Reject an application preliminarily approved by the 311
office if the applicable age ncy: 312
a. Recommended rejection of the application in accordance 313
with paragraph (d) in the applicable agency's written report. 314
b. Provides in the written notice under this paragraph a 315
description of the applicable agency's reasons why approval of 316
the application would create a substantial risk of harm to the 317
health or safety of consumers or would create unreasonable 318
expenses for taxpayers. 319
(h) If an applicable agency rejects an application under 320
paragraph (g), the office must deny the application. 321
(9)(a) Upon receiving a written report described in 322
subsection (8), the director shall provide the application and 323
the written report to the advisory committee. 324
(b) The director may call the advisory committee to meet 325
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as needed, but not less than once per q uarter if applications 326
are available for review. 327
(c) After receiving and reviewing the application and each 328
written report, the advisory committee shall provide to the 329
director a recommendation as to whether the applicant should be 330
admitted as a sandbox participant under this part. 331
(d) As part of the advisory committee's review of each 332
written report, the advisory committee shall use the criteria 333
required for an applicable agency as described in subsection 334
(8). 335
(10)(a) In reviewing an application and each applicable 336
agency's written report, the office shall consult with each 337
applicable agency and the advisory committee before admitting an 338
applicant into the regulatory sandbox. 339
(b) The consultation with each applicable agency and the 340
consultation with the advisory committee may include seeking 341
information about whether: 342
1. The applicable agency has previously issued a license 343
or other authorization to the applicant. 344
2. The applicable agency has previously investigated, 345
sanctioned, or pursued legal action against the applicant. 346
(11) In reviewing an application under this section, the 347
office and the applicable agency shall consider whether a 348
competitor to the applicant is or has been a sandbox participant 349
and, if so, weigh that as a factor in favor of allowing the 350
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applicant to also become a sandbox participant. 351
(12) In reviewing an application under this section, the 352
office shall consider whether: 353
(a) The applicant's plan will adequately protect consumers 354
from potential harm identified by an appl icable agency in the 355
applicable agency's written report. 356
(b) The risk of harm to consumers is outweighed by the 357
potential benefits to consumers from the applicant's 358
participation in the regulatory sandbox. 359
(c) Laws or regulations that regulate an offer ing should 360
not be waived or suspended even if the applicant is approved as 361
a sandbox participant, including applicable antifraud or 362
disclosure laws or regulations. 363
(13)(a) An applicant becomes a sandbox participant if the 364
office approves the application and enters into a written 365
agreement with the applicant describing the specific laws and 366
regulations that are waived or suspended as part of the 367
applicant's participation in the regulatory sandbox. 368
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the 369
office may not enter into a written agreement with an applicant 370
that waives or suspends a tax, fee, or charge that is 371
administered by the Department of Revenue. 372
(14)(a) The director may deny, at the director's sole 373
discretion, any application submitted under this section for any 374
reason, including if the director determines that the 375
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preponderance of evidence demonstrates that suspending or 376
waiving enforcement of a law or regulation would cause a 377
significant risk of harm to consumers. 378
(b) If the director denies an application submitted under 379
this section, the office shall provide to the applicant a 380
written description of the reasons for such denial. 381
(c) The denial of an application submitted under this 382
section is not subject to: 383
1. Agency or judicial review; or 384
2. Chapter 120. 385
(15) The director shall deny an application for 386
participation in the regulatory sandbox if: 387
(a) The director determines that the applicant should 388
instead apply for the Financial Technology Sandbox created in s. 389
559.952; or 390
(b) The applicant or any person who seeks to participate 391
with the applicant in the demonstration of an offering has been 392
convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, 393
any crime involving significant theft, fraud, or dishonesty if 394
the crime bears a significant relationship to the applicant's or 395
other participant's ability to safely and competently 396
participate in the regulatory sandbox. 397
(16)(a) When an applicant is approved for participation in 398
the regulatory sandbox, the director shall provide public notice 399
of the approval on the office's website and through other 400
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appropriate means. 401
(b) The public notice described in paragraph (a) shall 402
state: 403
1. The full legal name of the sandbox participant. 404
2. The industries represented by the sandbox participant. 405
3. Each law or regulation that is suspended or waived for 406
the sandbox participant pursuant to the regulatory sandbox. 407
(17) In addition to the information described in 408
subsection (16), the office shall post the following information 409
on the office's website and also make the information available 410
through other appropriate means: 411
(a) Documentation regarding the office's determination and 412
grounds for approving each sandbox participant. 413
(b) Public notice regarding any sandbox partici pant's 414
termination of participation in the regulatory sandbox. 415
288.9976 Scope of the regulatory sandbox. — 416
(1) If the office approves an application under this part, 417
the sandbox participant has 12 months after the day on which the 418
application was approv ed to demonstrate the offering described 419
in the sandbox participant's application. 420
(2) An offering that is demonstrated in the regulatory 421
sandbox is subject to the following: 422
(a) Each consumer shall be a resident of the state. 423
(b) A law or regulation may not be waived or suspended if 424
waiving or suspending the law or regulation would prevent a 425
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consumer from seeking restitution in the event that the consumer 426
is harmed. 427
(3) This part does not restrict a sandbox participant who 428
holds a license or other authorization in another jurisdiction 429
from acting in accordance with that license or other 430
authorization. 431
(4) A sandbox participant is deemed to possess an 432
appropriate license or other authorization under the laws of the 433
state for the purposes of any pro vision of federal law requiring 434
licensure or other authorization by the state. 435
(5) Subject to subsection (6): 436
(a) During the demonstration period, a sandbox participant 437
is not subject to the enforcement of laws or regulations 438
identified in the written agreement between the office and the 439
sandbox participant described in s. 288.9975(13). 440
(b) A prosecutor may not file or pursue charges pertaining 441
to a violation of law or regulation identified in the written 442
agreement between the office and the sandbox p articipant 443
described in s. 288.9975(13) that occurs during the 444
demonstration period. 445
(c) An applicable agency may not file or pursue any 446
punitive action against a sandbox participant, including the 447
imposition of a fine or the suspension or revocation of a 448
license, for a violation of law or regulation that: 449
1. Is identified as being waived or suspended in the 450
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written agreement between the office and the sandbox participant 451
described in s. 288.9975(13). 452
2. Occurs during the demonstration period. 453
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part: 454
(a) A sandbox participant does not have immunity related 455
to any criminal offense committed during the sandbox 456
participant's participation in the regulatory sandbox. 457
(b) A sandbox participant who provides an offering that is 458
a financial product or service shall comply with all applicable 459
federal laws and regulations governing consumer protection. 460
(7) By written notice, the office may terminate a sandbox 461
participant's participation in the regulatory sandb ox at any 462
time and for any reason, including if the director determines 463
that a sandbox participant is not operating in good faith to 464
bring an offering to consumers. 465
(8) The office and the office's employees are not liable 466
for any business losses or the r ecouping of application expenses 467
or other expenses related to the regulatory sandbox, including 468
expenses for: 469
(a) Denying an applicant's application to participate in 470
the regulatory sandbox for any reason; or 471
(b) Terminating a sandbox participant's participation in 472
the regulatory sandbox at any time and for any reason. 473
288.9977 Annual report. —By October 1 of each year, the 474
secretary shall provide a written report to the President of the 475
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Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that 476
includes: 477
(1) Information regarding each sandbox participant, 478
including which industries each participant represents and each 479
participant's anticipated or actual cost savings. 480
(2) Recommendations regarding any laws or regulations that 481
should be permanently modified or eliminated. 482
(3) Information regarding consumer outcomes. 483
(4) Recommendations for changes to the regulatory sandbox 484
or other office duties. 485
288.9978 Consumer protection for regulatory sandbox. — 486
(1) Before demonstrating an offering to a consumer, a 487
sandbox participant shall disclose the following to the 488
consumer: 489
(a) The full legal name and contact information of the 490
sandbox participant. 491
(b) That the offering is authorized under the regulatory 492
sandbox and, if applicable, that the sa ndbox participant does 493
not hold a license or other authorization to provide an offering 494
under laws or regulations that regulate offerings outside of the 495
regulatory sandbox. 496
(c) That the offering is undergoing testing and may not 497
function as intended and may expose the consumer to certain 498
risks as identified by the applicable agency's written report. 499
(d) That the sandbox participant is not immune from civil 500
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liability for any losses or damages caused by the offering. 501
(e) That the sandbox participant is not immune from 502
criminal prosecution for violations of laws or regulations that 503
are not suspended or waived pursuant to the regulatory sandbox. 504
(f) That the offering is a temporary demonstration that 505
may be discounted at the end of the demonstration peri od. 506
(g) The expected end date of the demonstration period. 507
(h) That a consumer may file a complaint with the office 508
regarding the offering being demonstrated and the office's 509
telephone number and website address where a complaint may be 510
filed. 511
(2) The disclosures required by subsection (1) shall be 512
provided to a consumer in a clear and conspicuous format and, 513
for an Internet or application -based offering, a consumer shall 514
acknowledge receipt of the disclosure before any transaction may 515
be completed. 516
(3) The office may require that a sandbox participant make 517
additional disclosures to a consumer. 518
288.9979 Requirements for exiting regulatory sandbox. — 519
(1) At least 30 days before the end of the 12 -month 520
regulatory sandbox demonstration period, a sand box participant 521
shall: 522
(a) Notify the office that the sandbox participant shall 523
exit the regulatory sandbox and discontinue the sandbox 524
participant's demonstration after the day on which the 12 -month 525
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demonstration period ends; or 526
(b) Seek an extension in accordance with s. 288.9981. 527
(2) Subject to subsection (3), if the office does not 528
receive notification as required by subsection (1), the 529
regulatory sandbox demonstration period ends at the end of the 530
12-month demonstration period. 531
(3) If a demonstration includes an offering that requires 532
ongoing duties, the sandbox participant may continue to perform 533
those duties but shall be subject to enforcement by the laws or 534
regulations that were waived or suspended pursuant to the 535
regulatory sandbox. 536
288.9981 Extensions.— 537
(1) No later than 30 days before the end of the 12 -month 538
regulatory sandbox demonstration period, a sandbox participant 539
may request an extension of the regulatory sandbox demonstration 540
period. 541
(2) The office shall grant or deny a request for an 542
extension by the end of the 12 -month regulatory sandbox 543
demonstration period. 544
(3) The office may grant an extension in accordance with 545
this section for not more than 12 months after the end of the 546
regulatory sandbox demonstration period. 547
288.9982 Recordkeeping and reporting requirements. — 548
(1) A sandbox participant shall retain records, documents, 549
and data produced in the ordinary course of business regarding 550
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an offering demonstrated in the regulatory sandbox. 551
(2) If a sandbox particip ant ceases to provide an offering 552
before the end of a demonstration period, the sandbox 553
participant shall notify the office and each applicable agency 554
and report on actions taken by the sandbox participant to ensure 555
that consumers have not been harmed as a result of the offering. 556
(3) The office shall establish quarterly reporting 557
requirements for a sandbox participant, including reporting any 558
consumer complaints filed. 559
(4) The office may request records, documents, and data 560
from a sandbox participant an d, upon the office's request, the 561
sandbox participant shall make such records, documents, and data 562
available for inspection by the office. 563
(5)(a) The sandbox participant shall provide a written 564
report to the office and each applicable agency detailing an y 565
incidents that resulted in harm to the health, safety, or 566
financial well-being of a consumer. 567
(b) If a sandbox participant fails to notify the office 568
and each applicable agency of any incidents as described in 569
paragraph (a), or the office or an applica ble agency has 570
evidence that significant harm to a consumer has occurred, the 571
office may immediately remove the sandbox participant from the 572
regulatory sandbox. 573
(6)(a) No later than 30 days after the day on which a 574
sandbox participant exits the regulator y sandbox, the sandbox 575
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participant shall submit a written report to the office and each 576
applicable agency describing an overview of the sandbox 577
participant's demonstration, including any: 578
1. Incidents of harm to consumers. 579
2. Legal action filed against the participant as a result 580
of the participant's demonstration. 581
3. Complaints filed with an applicable agency as a result 582
of the participant's demonstration. 583
(b) No later than 30 days after the day on which an 584
applicable agency receives the quarterly reporting described in 585
subsection (3) or a written report from a sandbox participant as 586
described in paragraph (5)(a), the applicable agency shall 587
provide a written report to the office on the demonstration that 588
describes any statutory or regulatory reform the applicable 589
agency recommends as a result of the demonstration. 590
(7) The office may remove a sandbox participant from the 591
regulatory sandbox at any time if the office determines that a 592
sandbox participant has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about 593
to engage in any practice or transaction that violates this part 594
or that constitutes a violation of a law or regulation for which 595
suspension or waiver has not been granted under the regulatory 596
sandbox. 597
288.9983 Regulatory relief web page. — 598
(1) The office shall create and maintain on the 599
department's website a web page that invites residents and 600
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businesses to make suggestions regarding laws and regulations 601
that could be modified or eliminated to reduce the regulatory 602
burden of residents and businesses. 603
(2) On at least a quarterly basis, the office shall 604
compile the results of suggestions from the web page and provide 605
a written report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 606
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that describes 607
the most common suggestions. 608
(3) In creating the report described in subsection (2), 609
the office and the advisory committee: 610
(a) Shall ensure that nonpublic information of residents 611
and businesses that make suggestions on the web page is not made 612
public. 613
(b) May evaluate the suggestions and provide analysis and 614
suggestions regarding which laws and regulations could be 615
modified or eliminated to reduce the regulatory burden of 616
residents and businesses while still protecting consumers. 617
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of s ubsection (3) of section 618
20.60, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 619
20.60 Department of Economic Opportunity; creation; powers 620
and duties.— 621
(3)(a) The following divisions and offices of the 622
Department of Economic Opportunity are established: 623
1. The Division of Strategic Business Development. 624
2. The Division of Community Development. 625
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3. The Division of Workforce Services. 626
4. The Division of Finance and Administration. 627
5. The Division of Information Technology. 628
6. The Office of the Secretary . 629
7. The Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency, 630
which shall: 631
a. Oversee the department's critical objectives as 632
determined by the secretary and make sure that the department's 633
key objectives are clearly communicated to the public. 634
b. Organize department resources, expertise, data, and 635
research to focus on and solve the complex economic challenges 636
facing the state. 637
c. Provide leadership for the department's priority issues 638
that require integration of policy, management, and critical 639
objectives from multiple programs and organizations internal and 640
external to the department; and organize and manage external 641
communication on such priority issues. 642
d. Promote and facilitate key department initiatives to 643
address priority economic issues a nd explore data and identify 644
opportunities for innovative approaches to address such economic 645
issues. 646
e. Promote strategic planning for the department. 647
8. The Office of Regulatory Relief. 648
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 649