§ 11-12D-2 — Establishment of office of business registration; centralized business registration records

(a) There is hereby established in the Tax Division of the Department of Tax and Revenue the office of business registration.

(b) For the purpose of designing and implementing the simplified business registration system contemplated by this article, there is hereby established the business registration interagency advisory group, which shall consist of representatives designated by the Secretary of State; the secretary of tax and revenue; the executive director of the Development Office; secretary of commerce, labor and environmental resources; and the commissioner of the Bureau of Employment Programs. The advisory group shall consult with representatives of such other state offices and agencies as necessary to accomplish the purposes of this article. In implementing the simplified business registration system described in this article, the Tax Commissioner shall be guided by the recommendations of the advisory group.

(c) The office of business registration, with the cooperation and assistance of all interested governmental entities, shall establish a system of centralized records, which may be in the form of a centralized database, for the acquisition and storage of information the departments, divisions and agencies may require for registration, licensing and other similar statutory purposes related to the initiation of new businesses in West Virginia.

(d) Not later than November 30, 1994, the office of business registration shall design a single basic registration information form for the purpose of fulfilling, to the extent feasible, the business registration information requirements of the Department of Tax and Revenue, the Secretary of State and the Bureau of Employment Programs. The information to be provided on the form will include the name, address and telephone number of the prospective new business; the standard industry code or codes appropriate to the business; the number of employees of the business; and such other appropriate information. Prospective new businesses must register with the office of business registration and disclose the business registration information required by that office.

(e) For each prospective new business seeking to do business in the State of West Virginia, a record of registration information will be entered into the centralized records or database for new business registration.

(f) If all of the business registration information required by the Secretary of State, the Department of Tax and Revenue and the Bureau of Employment Programs can not feasibly be included in a single form, the office of business registration will include on the single form as much of the information as is feasible and will design a system which avoids, to the maximum extent possible, duplication of effort by businesses seeking to register. No later than June 30, 1995, the office of business registration and the advisory group shall make joint recommendations as to additional measures, whether administrative or legislative, needed in order to:

(1) Permit a business to provide all needed registration information in a single step;

(2) Bring all interested governmental entities into the simplified registration system; and

(3) Simplify in any other manner the dealings of businesses with government agencies in West Virginia, with particular emphasis on data management techniques.

Legislative History

1994 Reg. Sess., HB4025