(1) The commission shall adopt by rule disciplinary guidelines applicable to each ground for disciplinary action that may be imposed by the office.

(a) The disciplinary guidelines shall specify a range of penalties based upon the severity and repetition of specific offenses. The disciplinary guidelines shall distinguish minor violations from violations that endanger the public health, safety, or welfare; provide reasonable notice to the public of penalties that may be imposed for proscribed conduct; and ensure that penalties are imposed in a consistent manner by the office.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 517.1611

  • Associated person: means :
  • Commission: means the Financial Services Commission. See Florida Statutes 517.021
  • Dealer: includes , unless otherwise specified, a person, other than an associated person of a dealer, that engages, for all or part of the person's time, directly or indirectly, as agent or principal in the business of offering, buying, selling, or otherwise dealing or trading in securities issued by another person. See Florida Statutes 517.021
  • Investment adviser: means a person, other than an associated person of an investment adviser or a federal covered adviser, that receives compensation, directly or indirectly, and engages for all or part of the person's time, directly or indirectly, or through publications or writings, in the business of advising others as to the value of securities or as to the advisability of investments in, purchasing of, or selling of securities. See Florida Statutes 517.021
  • Issuer: means a person that proposes to issue, has issued, or shall hereafter issue any security. See Florida Statutes 517.021
  • minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Office: means the Office of Financial Regulation of the commission. See Florida Statutes 517.021
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(b) The commission shall identify mitigating and aggravating circumstances by rule that allow the office to impose a penalty other than that specified in the guidelines.
(2) The commission shall adopt by rule disqualifying periods pursuant to which an applicant will be disqualified from eligibility for registration based upon criminal convictions, pleas of nolo contendere, or pleas of guilt, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld, by the applicant; any partner, member, officer, or director of the applicant or any person having a similar status or performing similar functions; or any person directly or indirectly controlling the applicant.

(a) The disqualifying periods shall be 15 years for a felony and 5 years for a misdemeanor.
(b) The disqualifying periods shall be related to crimes involving registration as a dealer, investment adviser, issuer of securities, or associated person or the application for such registration or involving moral turpitude or fraudulent or dishonest dealing.
(c) The rules may also address mitigating factors, an additional waiting period based upon dates of imprisonment or community supervision, an additional waiting period based upon commitment of multiple crimes, and other factors reasonably related to the consideration of an applicant’s criminal history.
(d) An applicant is not eligible for registration until the expiration of the disqualifying period set by rule. Section 112.011 does not apply to the registration provisions under this chapter. Nothing in this section changes or amends the grounds for denial under s. 517.161.