GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 264*

Short Title:  Clarify Business License Info.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Nesbitt; Anderson, Buchanan, Colton, N. Crawford, Flaherty, Fletcher, Greenwood, Holt, Jack Hunt, R. Hunter, Michaux, Miller, Nye, Ramsey, Stewart, Watkins, and Wicker.
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Referred to:  Government.
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February 16, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CLARIFY THAT A PERSON REQUESTING FROM THE BUSINESS LICENSE INFORMATION OFFICE A WRITTEN LIST OF STATE LICENSES RELATING TO A SPECIFIC BUSINESS ACTIVITY MAY NOT BE PENALIZED FOR FAILURE TO OBTAIN A LICENSE WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 147-54.15 reads as rewritten:
"§ 147-54.15.  License coordination and assistance to applicants.
Upon request, the Office shall assist a person as provided below:
(1)	Identify the type and source of licenses that may be required and the potential difficulties in obtaining the licenses based on an informal review of a potential applicant's business at an early stage in its planning.  Information provided by the Office is for guidance purposes only and may not be asserted by an applicant as a waiver or release from any license requirement.  However, an applicant who uses the services of the Office as provided in this subdivision, and who receives a written statement identifying required State business licenses relating to a specific business activity, may not be assessed a penalty for failure to obtain any State business license which was not identified;  
(2)	Arrange an informal conference between the person and the appropriate agency to clarify licensing requirements or standards, if necessary;
(3)	Assist in preparing the appropriate application and supplemental forms;
(4)	Monitor the license review process to determine the status of a particular license.  If there is a delay in the review process, the Office may demand to know the reasons for the delay, the action required to end the delay, and shall provide this information to the applicant.  The Office may assist the applicant in resolving a dispute with an agency during the application process.  If a request for a license is refused, the Office may explain the recourse available to the person under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.