Legislation Effective January 1, 2020

ALABAMA

House Bill 250 (Act No. 2019-94) signed by the governor May 1 and effective January 1, 2020 revises the Business Corporation Law to conform with the American Bar Association’s Model Business Corporation Act of 2016 and current practice at the Alabama Secretary of State Office.

CALIFORNIA

Assembly Bill 25 signed by the governor October 11 and effective January 1 amends the Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to enable business to require reasonable authentication of a consumer and authorizes consumer to bring private civil action if a business failure results in a consumer’s personal information being subject to unauthorized access and exfiltration or theft.

Assembly Bill 212 (Chapter No. 2019-41) signed by the governor July 1 and effective January 1 authorizes county recording offices to use a $1.00 per document surcharge for restoration and preservation of the county recorder’s permanent archival microfilm, to implement and fund a county recorder archive program as determined by the county recorder, or to implement and maintain or utilize a trusted system for the permanent preservation of recorded document images.

Assembly Bill 375 (Chapter 55) signed by the governor June 28 and effective January 1, 2020 enacted the Consumer Privacy Act granting California consumers a right to request a business to disclose personal information collected about the consumer, the sources from which the information was collected, the business purposes for collecting or selling the information, and the third parties with which the information is shared. The bill text can be accessed at relating to the collection, storage and sale of personal information of California residents by businesses.

Assembly Bill 498 (Chapter 2019-227) signed by the governor September 5 and effective January 1, 2020 exempts a veteran who is honorably discharged from the armed forces and is a California resident from paying any local business license fees for a business that sells or provides services if the veteran is the sole proprietor of the business.

Assembly Bill 716 (Chapter 2019-15) signed by the governor June 26 and effective January 1, 2020 authorizes a county clerk to accept an electronic acknowledgment verifying the identity of the registrant using a remote identity proofing process to file Fictitious Business Name certificates.

Senate Bill 601 (Chapter 2019-854) signed by the governor October 12 and effective January 1 authorizes any state agency that issues any business license to establish a process for a person or business displaced or experiencing economic hardship as a result of an emergency to apply for a reduction or waiver of fees required by the agency to obtain, renew or activate a license or replace a physical license for display.

CONNECTICUT

House Bill 7104 (Public Act No. 19-137) signed by the governor July 12 and effective January 1 modernizes the state uniform trust code.

FLORIDA

House Bill 1009 (Chapter 2019-90) signed by the governor June 7 and effective January 1 updates the Business Corporation Act to conform to the ABA’s Model Corporation Act.

GEORGIA

House Bill 288 (Act 231) signed by the governor May 6 and effective January 1, 2020 increases certain Superior Court clerk recording fees.

ILLINOIS

House Bill 2528 (Public Act No. 475) signed by the governor August 23 and effective January 1, 2020 amends the Assumed Business Names Act to permit a home based business to list the county clerk for service of process if the person reasonably believes publishing the home address would put his or her safety at risk, the form is accompanied by a court order or police report, and the person provides the home address to the county clerk.

House Bill 3663 (Public Act No. 292) signed by the governor August 9 and effective January 1, 2020 creates the limited worker cooperative association act to authorize the organization of a cooperative association as an entity distinct from its members.

KENTUCKY

Senate Bill 114 (Act 86) signed by the governor March 25 and effective January 1, 2020 amends provisions related to notarial acts and county clerk recording and indexing fees.

OREGON

House Bill 2598 (Chapter 162) signed by the governor May 24 and effective January 1 relates to non-charitable trusts with a business purpose.

RHODE ISLAND

Senate Bill 395 (Public Law 2019-206) signed by the governor July 15 and effective January 1 creates an act for transparency and sustainability standards for Rhode Island business entities.

VIRGINIA

House Bill 170 (Chapter 251) signed by the governor March 9 and effective January 1, 2020 postponed from May 1, 2019 the effective date of 2017 legislation requiring a business to file a certificate of assumed or fictitious name in the office of the clerk of the State Corporation Commission.

House Bill 1925 (Chapter 464) signed by the governor March 18 and effective January 1, 2020 conforms when fictitious name certificates are to be filed with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission and not county clerk offices.