And Now Florida Has Introduced a Commercial Financing Disclosure Bill

Florida has joined the chorus of states introducing commercial financing disclosure bills. While Florida’s bill looks more like Utah’s than it does California’s or New York’s, it seems to make a point about brokers using potentially deceptive business practices. Brokers take note, especially the last paragraph.

A broker may not:

Assess, collect, or solicit an advance fee from a business to provide services as a broker. However, this subsection does not preclude a broker from soliciting a business to pay for, or preclude a business from paying for, actual services necessary to apply for a commercial financing product, including, but not limited to, a credit check or an appraisal of security, if such payment is made by check or money order payable to a party independent of the broker;

Offer the services of a broker by making, publishing, disseminating, circulating, or placing before the public within the state an advertisement in a newspaper or other publication or an advertisement in the form of a book, notice, handbill, poster, sign, billboard, bill, circular, pamphlet, letter, photograph, or motion picture or an advertisement circulated by radio, loudspeaker, telephone, television, telegraph, or in any other way, in which the offer or advertisement does not disclose the name, business address, and telephone number of the broker. For purposes of this subsection, the broker shall disclose the actual address and telephone number of the business of the broker in addition to the address and telephone number of any forwarding service that the broker may use.

Both the State Senate and House versions of the bill were introduced by republicans.