SENATE DOCKET, NO. 597        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 199

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to study the feasibility of streamlining business registration.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 597        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 199

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 235 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act to study the feasibility of streamlining business registration.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. There shall be a special commission to study the feasibility of improving state agency information sharing capabilities within the Commonwealth to facilitate new business registration. The commission shall consist of the Commonwealth to facilitate new business registration. The commission shall consist of the Commonwealth's Innovation Officer and the Commonwealth's Chief Information Officer, who shall serve as the co-chairs, the secretary of administration and finance, or their designee; the secretary of the commonwealth, or their designee; the attorney general of the commonwealth, or their designee; the treasurer of the commonwealth, or their designee; the auditor of the commonwealth, or their designee; the secretary of health and human services, or their designee, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, or their designee; the secretary of housing and economic development, or their designee; the secretary of education, or their designee; the secretary of transportation, or their designee; 3 individuals appointed by the governor; provided, 2 shall be a specialist in the field of information technology; the president of the senate, or their designee; the speaker of the house, or their designee; the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight, or their respective designees; the senate and house minority leaders, or their respective designees. The commission shall make a comprehensive study of the feasibility of improving information sharing capabilities to address duplicative processes and streamline services to simplify new business registrations, particularly for small businesses. The commission shall review each agencies requirements for new business registrations to evaluate duplicative, burdensome, and unnecessary processes. The study shall also include a financial analysis of the implementation of new technology or upgrades to existing technology.

SECTION 2. The commission shall report to the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight, the joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies, and the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the clerks of the house and senate the findings and recommendations if any no later than December 31, 2015