Florida Senate - 2024 SB 92 By Senator Hooper 21-00176-24 202492__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Yacht and Ship Brokers Act; 3 amending s. 326.002, F.S.; revising the definition of 4 the term yacht; amending s. 326.004, F.S.; exempting 5 a person who conducts business as a broker or 6 salesperson in another state from licensure in this 7 state for specified transactions; requiring, rather 8 than authorizing, the Division of Florida 9 Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes of the 10 Department of Business and Professional Regulation to 11 deny licenses for applicants who fail to meet certain 12 requirements; revising requirements for licensure as a 13 broker; providing an effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17 Section 1.Subsection (4) of section 326.002, Florida 18 Statutes, is amended to read: 19 326.002Definitions.As used in ss. 326.001-326.006, the 20 term: 21 (4)Yacht means any vessel that which is propelled by 22 sail or machinery in the water, which exceeds 32 feet in length, 23 and is: 24 (a)Manufactured or operated primarily for pleasure; or 25 (b)Leased, rented, or chartered to someone other than the 26 owner for the other persons pleasure which weighs less than 300 27 gross tons. 28 Section 2.Subsections (6) and (8) of section 326.004, 29 Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (f) is added to 30 subsection (3) of that section, to read: 31 326.004Licensing. 32 (3)A license is not required for: 33 (f)A person who conducts business as a broker or 34 salesperson in another state as his or her primary profession 35 and engages in the purchase of a yacht under this act, if the 36 transaction is executed in its entirety with a broker or 37 salesperson licensed in this state. 38 (6)The division must may deny a license to any applicant 39 who does not meet all of the following requirements: 40 (a)Furnish proof satisfactory to the division that he or 41 she is of good moral character. 42 (b)Certify that he or she has never been convicted of a 43 felony. 44 (c)Post the bond required by the Yacht and Ship Brokers 45 Act. 46 (d)Demonstrate that he or she is a resident of this state 47 or that he or she conducts business in this state. 48 (e)Furnish a full set of fingerprints taken within the 6 49 months immediately preceding the submission of the application. 50 (f)Have a current license and has operated as a broker or 51 salesperson without a license. 52 (8)A person may not be licensed as a broker unless he or 53 she has been licensed as a salesperson and can demonstrate that 54 he or she has been directly involved in at least four 55 transactions that resulted in the sale of a yacht or can certify 56 that he or she has obtained at least 20 continuing education 57 credits approved by the division for at least 2 consecutive 58 years, and may not be licensed as a broker unless he or she has 59 been licensed as a salesperson for at least 2 consecutive years. 60 Section 3.This act shall take effect October 1, 2024.