Sec. 220.501. - Certified Reporting.

(a) No later than January 1 of every other year beginning in 2020, a vehicle for hire business shall submit to the Department of Finance and Administration an examination report prepared by an independent certified public accountant for the sole purpose of verifying that the vehicle for hire has maintained compliance with Part 2 (Driver Background Check) and Part 3 (Insurance) on a continual basis for either the preceding two years or for the timeframe that the vehicle for hire has been operating in this State if that timeframe is less than two years. The report shall expressly state whether the vehicle for hire business was compliant or noncompliant. The report must be prepared in accordance with applicable attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The vehicle for hire shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the report. (b) The Department of Finance and Administration, within 30 days after receipt of the report required under paragraph (a), shall impose a fine of $10,000 if the report includes a finding that the vehicle for hire has been noncompliant with Part 2 (Driver Background Check), Part 3 (Insurance), or both. A vehicle for hire that has been found to be noncompliant shall submit another examination report prepared by an independent certified public accountant to the department no later than January 1 of the following year. This subsequent report shall evaluate the records of the vehicle for hire business for the timeframe since the independent certified public accountant last reviewed the records of the vehicle for hire to determine whether the vehicle for hire has been compliant with Part 2 (Driver Background Check), Part 3 (Insurance), or both on a continual basis. The department, within 30 days after receipt of the subsequent report required by this paragraph, shall impose a fine of $20,000 if the subsequent report includes a finding that the vehicle for hire has been noncompliant with Part 2 (Driver Background Check), Part 3 (Insurance), or both. Failure to timely submit any report required under this Chapter shall result in the imposition of an additional fine of $10,000 for noncompliance. Any fine imposed by the Department shall be payable within 21 days after receipt of notice from the Department. The moneys so received may be deposited by the Department for use in defraying the expenses of the Department in the discharge of its administrative and regulatory duties under this subsection. The Vehicles for Hire business may file a written request for hearing with a special magistrate, established within the Office of General Counsel, within seven days of receipt of the notice to challenge the City's determination regarding compliance with this Section. The Department may, pursuant to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, seek injunctive relief against a vehicle for hire business that fails to comply with the requirements of this Chapter. The Department may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this Chapter. (c) Unless otherwise explicitly provided, this subsection does not extinguish any claim otherwise available under common law or any other statute. (Ord. 2019-183-E , § 2)