Under the authority of art. III, secs. 1, 23, and 24 of the Alaska Constitution, and AS 44.17.020, I order the following changes in the organization of the functions, programs, and staff concerning specified business activities regarding corporations and other business entities administered by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development:

1. PURPOSE; GOAL.The purpose of this Order is to streamline and centralize certain activities of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (department) concerning the formation of corporations, limited liability companies, and other business entities in order to foster their development and to further a coordinated approach by the department to these activities. The goal of this Order is to further, within one division of the department, "one-stop shopping" for (1) legally forming business entities, including corporations and limited liability companies; (2) registering trademarks; (3) obtaining necessary business licenses; and (4) securing any required occupational licenses or certificates.

2. CHANGE OF STAFF REPORTING ASSIGNMENTS. Department staff assigned to the corporations section in the division of banking, securities, and corporations in the department are transferred to the division of occupational licensing in the department and will report to the director of the division of occupational licensing. With the transfer, staff will remain in the classified service.

3. REORGANIZATION OF BUSINESS ENTITY FUNCTIONS. The commissioner of the department is authorized and ordered to implement the reorganization of certain business entity functions of the department, as follows:

a.all functions assigned to the corporations section of the division of banking, securities, and corporations, except for duties related to the Alaska BIDCO Act under AS 10.13 and required statements of financial conditions of business entities, are transferred to the division of occupational licensing in the department;

b.the division of banking, securities, and corporations in the department shall continue to administer functions under the Alaska BIDCO Act (AS 10.13) and duties related to required statements of financial conditions of business entities required under state law;

c.beginning on the effective date of this Order, documents related to the formation, licensing, or registration of business entities shall be issued in the name of the department;

d.the names of the division of banking, securities, and corporations and the division of occupational licensing in the department remain unchanged by this Order.

4. CENTRALIZED DATABASE.The division of occupational licensing in the department shall create a centralized database for registration of names of corporations and other business entities, and for names used by business entities to obtain business and occupational licensing by the department. The centralized database shall also provide a systematic means of verifying whether business entities have secured the required business license from the department and have paid required fees of the department for these activities.

5. INTERNET ACCESS.Consistent with law, the department shall proceed with its plan to facilitate business formation, registration, licensing, and trademarking through use of the Internet, to encourage business development in this state.

6. STATE REGULATION CHANGES. Consistent with law, the department shall promptly facilitate changes to state regulations necessary to implement this Order.

DATED at Juneau, Alaska, this 17th day of September, 2004.