The bureau, by and through the director or the director's duly authorized employees, shall have the following functions, powers, and duties:

(1) providing comprehensive information on licenses required for business undertakings, projects, and activities in the state and making the information available to applicants and other persons;

(2) providing interested persons with an opinion as to the number, kind, and source of required licenses and potential difficulties in obtaining the licenses, based on a review of a potential applicant's business concept at an early stage in its planning;

(3) developing with the assistance of other departments a master application procedure to expedite the identification and processing of these licenses;

(4) facilitating or recommending consolidation of hearings required pursuant to licensing applications when feasible and advantageous;

(5) encouraging and facilitating the participation of federal and local government agencies in licensing coordination;

(6) making recommendations for eliminating, consolidating, simplifying, expediting, or otherwise improving licensing procedures affecting business undertakings;

(7) serving as an advocate for small business license applicants with state, federal, and local agencies in the process of applying for licenses and complying with licensing standards and requirements; and

(8) adopting rules, procedures, instructions, and forms as are required to carry out the functions, powers, and duties imposed upon the bureau by sections 116J.73 to 116J.86.

History: 1981 c 342 art 3 s 4; 1981 c 356 s 248; 1Sp1985 c 13 s 247; 1986 c 444