Gessler Proposes "Business Efficiency Suite" Legislation to Streamline Business Filings

Gessler proposes “Business Efficiency Suite” legislation
Comprehensive package aimed at streamlining business filings

 

Denver, Colorado – Today Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced legislation aimed at streamlining business filings and developing online enhancements for the non-profit community. Senate Bill 123 will have its first hearing in the Senate on Monday, February 13, at 1:30 p.m.

 

“We’re making bold strides to create a more user-friendly, intuitive system to save our customers time and money,” Gessler said. “The enhancements outlined in Senate Bill 123 will make our system the envy of the nation.”

 

A large number of filers in Colorado maintain multiple business entities, non-profits and charities. Gessler’s proposal aims to consolidate those filings under one user account allowing customers to file all of their records at one time with one payment, while preserving the searchability that users expect.

 

“As a small business owner, streamlining these filings allows me to spend more time focused on my business and less on state regulations,” said bill sponsor Senator Scott Renfroe.

 

Among other enhancements, the legislation will allow customers to associate multiple business records under one account, file multiple documents at once and pay for multiple filings. This user account will populate new filings and renewals with existing business filing information, saving data entry time and preventing potential errors.

 

The Suite includes the following projects that will support the Colorado business and non-profit communities:

 

Business Association Tool: A user account that will allow customers to associate multiple business records under one account, file multiple documents at once, and pay once for multiple filings.

 

Records Management Tool: Enable customers to identify which business entities and charitable organizations they are registered agents for, easily determine when reports are due, and select their periodic report filing month.

 

Prepaid Account: Provide prepaid account holders with online access to check account balances, view transaction histories, and deposit funds.

 

Coordinated Filing: Provide customers with the ability to populate new filings and renewals with existing business filing information.

 

Business Filing System Enhancements: Revise business forms to increase filing accuracy and implement usability enhancements to the business filing processes.

 

Enhance Business Search Options: Provide the ability to limit business search results by entity type, status, domestic versus foreign, or address; and expand name availability search results to show filers similar names that are on record and help prevent similar business names from being filed.

 

Online Certifications: Provide customers with the ability to obtain certifications via the Department’s website.

 

Web-enable Statements of Merger: Enable online filing of Statements of Merger using a filing "wizard" to guide a filer through the process.

 

Web-enable Other Statements of Change & Correction: Enable online filing of changes and corrections of entity names, types, and jurisdictions for foreign entities and partnerships.

 

Charitable Organizations Filing Application: Redesign the charitable organization filing and searching system to replace and enhance the system deployed in 2002.

 

Bingo-Raffle E-filing: Create an online system to streamline the filing process for bingo-raffle licensees, suppliers, and manufacturers.