(1) The department shall develop a public information program, which should include a plan to distribute information to the public, to further the purposes of ss. 496.401-496.424.

(2) The purpose of the program is to help the public recognize unlawful, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent solicitations and make knowledgeable, informed decisions concerning contributions.

(3) The program shall include information concerning:

(a) The laws governing solicitations, including registration and disclosure requirements, prohibited acts, and penalties;

(b) The means by which the public can report suspected violations or file a complaint;

(c) Information on how trust accounts for named individuals may be established and issues that should be considered in the establishment of trust accounts for named individuals, including the necessity of securing a tax identification number from the Internal Revenue Service before opening an account; and

(d) Any other information the department believes will assist the public in making knowledgeable and informed decisions concerning contributions.

(4) The department shall prepare an annual public report to be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Attorney General summarizing such information filed under ss. 496.401-496.424 which the department determines will assist the public in making informed and knowledgeable decisions concerning contributions. The report must include the following:

(a) A list of complaints filed for which violations were found to have occurred in each of the following categories: charitable organizations, sponsors, professional solicitors, and professional fundraising consultants.

(b) A list of the number of investigations by the department, and enforcement actions commenced under ss. 496.401-496.424 and the disposition of those actions.

(c) A list of those charitable organizations and sponsors which have voluntarily submitted an audited financial statement pursuant to s. 496.407 or an audit with an opinion prepared by an independent certified public accountant.

History.—ss. 22, 26, ch. 91-208; ss. 16, 19, ch. 94-287.