Fellow Auctioneers and Auction Business’s:
As you may have heard, during the recent 2017 legislative session, the Florida auction license law was once again under attack with an intense push by some legislators to deregulated our profession. This would have had a major negative impact on the auction profession in Florida and more importantly on Florida consumers.
The Florida Auctioneer Academy proudly spearheaded, along with other key industry players, a successful campaign and strategy to remove Auctioneers from their proposed deregulation legislation HB 7047 and SB 802. (which impacted several other professions as well).
It is troublesome that legislators could spend a lengthy amount of time working on language affecting Auctioneers and the public without soliciting the industry's input. Fortunately, the Florida Auctioneer Academy stepped up our involvement and hired a government relations consultant and industry friend, David Caserta, to “keep us in the loop” and to assist with the legal aspects as well as working with the legislators to protect our industry. As many of you recall, David successfully represented the industry several years ago when the legislature attempted to do a similar thing.
This year the Florida Auctioneer Academy worked closely with our champions, Senator Arron Bean and Representative Combee. As a result of conversations with the bill sponsors and representatives from the Department of Business and Professional Regulations, we again prevented a major set back. As a result and at the request of Senator Bean we have been asked to host a legislative summit on July 19th with key players in the Florida auction business, to address ways to streamline the Auction statutes and business in Florida.
We are asking for your input and support. Below is a link on allowing you to leave feedback about the license law and any changes you deem beneficial to our cause. (a copy of the current statute is here for your review) and a pdf here
Florida Auctioneer Academy