State Permit Transparency and Efficiency Act
| Model Bill Info | |
|---|---|
| Bill Title | State Permit Transparency and Efficiency Act |
| Date Introduced | July 18, 2025 |
| Type | Model Policy |
| Status | Draft |
| Task Forces | Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development |
State Permit Transparency and Efficiency Act
Section 1. Short Title
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “State Permit Transparency and Efficiency Act.”
Section 2. Legislative Findings and Intent
(a) Findings. The Legislature finds that:
The timely and efficient processing of permits, licenses, certifications, registrations, and other forms of agency approval is essential to economic development and public welfare within the state. Transparent and predictable permitting processes improve regulatory compliance and create a more favorable environment for business development, job creation, and economic growth. Many permits involve multiple procedural stages, agencies, and approval requirements, which can create delays, uncertainty, and inefficiency. A comprehensive audit of existing permitting processes is necessary to identify opportunities for improvement, consolidation, or elimination of unnecessary requirements. An accessible online tracking system for permit applications will benefit both applicants and agencies by creating accountability, improving communication, and promoting efficiency by identifying where delays are occurring and allowing agencies to make process improvements.
(b) Intent. It is the intent of the Legislature to:
Create transparency in the permitting process to allow applicants to understand requirements and track application status. Establish clear timelines for the processing of permit applications. Provide publicly accessible information regarding permits issued by state agencies. Improve efficiency in the permitting process and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens. Establish a centralized oversight body to coordinate these efforts.
Section 3. Definitions
For the purposes of this Act:
(a) “Agency” means any department, board, commission, division, office, or other authority of the state government.
(b) “Agency owner” means the individual or unit within an agency, locality, another state, or the federal government who has specific responsibility for a particular type of permit or approval who serves as the accountable party for an approval process or a designated step of that process.
(c) “Approval” means a permit, license, certification, registration, or any other form of authorization that a regulated party must obtain from an agency prior to engaging in a particular activity.
(d) “Average processing time” means the total amount of time that an agency took to fully process all approval applications of a particular type on which a final decision was made in the previous year, measured from the date of submission to the date of final decision, divided by the total number of the particular type of approval being assessed on which a final decision was made.
(e) “Comprehensive permit audit” means a systematic review and assessment of all approvals issued by agencies to identify opportunities for streamlining, consolidation, or elimination.
(f) “High-impact approval” means any approval that either:
Has an average processing duration of ten or more days and for which more than one hundred applications are received annually; Has an average processing time exceeding thirty days; or Is reasonably expected to generate investment in the state exceeding $1 million.
(g) “Low-volume approval” means any approval issued by an agency with five or fewer issuances per year.
(h) “Permit transparency portal” means the online platform established pursuant to Section 6 of this Act that allows for the tracking of approval applications.
(i) “Procedural stage” means a distinct step in the approval process at which an application is transferred or reviewed by an agency owner or designee. Agency owners or designees may be within the agency or may be affiliated with another governmental entity, including officials from another agency, a locality, another state, or an agency of the federal government.
(j) “Program” means the Permit Transparency Program established pursuant to Section 4 of this Act.
Section 4. Permit Transparency Program established.
(a) Designation of Authority. The Department of Administration [or alternatively, Department of Management Services, Administrative Services, General Services, or similar central administrative agency as exists in the state] shall establish and administer a Permit Transparency Program to implement the provisions of this Act.
The Secretary/Director of the Department shall designate a senior official to serve as the Permit Transparency Program Director (hereafter, the Director). The Program Director shall report directly to the Secretary/Director of the Department and shall be responsible for implementing the provisions of this Act.
(b) Powers and Duties. The Department, through the Permit Transparency Program, shall have the following powers and duties:
Oversee the implementation of the comprehensive permit audit required under Section 5 of this Act. Develop, implement, and maintain the permit transparency portal required under Section 6 of this Act. Establish standards for approval processing timelines based on complexity and impact. Coordinate with agencies to develop and implement approval streamlining initiatives. Provide technical assistance to agencies in mapping and improving their approval processes. Develop standardized metrics for measuring approval efficiency. Issue annual reports on approval efficiency as required under Section 7 of this Act. Provide recommendations to the Governor and Legislature regarding potential statutory, regulatory, or administrative changes to improve approval processes. Maintain an inventory of all active approval types issued by state agencies. Develop guidance for agencies to assist in mapping approval processes and identifying procedural stages.
(c) Interagency Coordination Committee.
There is established a Permit Transparency Interagency Coordination Committee composed of representatives from each agency that issues approvals subject to this Act. The Committee shall meet at least quarterly to: (i) Coordinate implementation of the provisions of this Act; (ii) Share best practices in approval processing; (iii) Identify opportunities for interagency collaboration; and (iv) Develop recommendations for improving the state’s permitting processes. The Committee shall be chaired by the Permit Transparency Program Director.
(d) Authority to Request Information. The Department may request, and agencies shall provide, any information necessary to fulfill its duties under this Act.
(e) Use of Existing Resources. To the extent practicable, the Department shall utilize existing staff, systems, and resources in implementing this Act.
Section 5. Comprehensive Permit Audit
(a) Requirement. Within 180 days of the effective date of this Act, each agency shall conduct a comprehensive permit audit of all approvals it issues and submit the results to the Director.
(b) Audit Contents. The comprehensive permit audit shall include, for each type of approval:
A description of the approval and the statutory, regulatory, or other legal basis for the approval. The total number of applications processed annually for the previous three years. The average processing time for each type of approval. Any fees or charges associated with the approval. A detailed mapping of all procedural stages in the approval process, including: (i) each distinct step in the process; (ii) the individual or unit responsible for each step; (iii) the expected timeline for completion of each step; (iv) any involvement of other federal, state, or local government entities in the approval process; and (v) documentation of hand-offs between departments, agencies, or individuals. The format in which applications are accepted (paper, electronic, or both). Identification of low-volume approvals. Identification of high-impact approvals. Identification of duplicative approvals. Recommendations for streamlining, consolidating, or eliminating unnecessary approvals or procedural stages. Recommendations for appropriate processing timelines for each approval type.
Any changes or updates made by an agency to this information shall be reported to the Director immediately upon implementation.
(c) Exclusions. The following approval types shall be excluded from the comprehensive permit audit:
Driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Hunting and fishing licenses.
(d) Review of Low-Volume Approvals.
For each low-volume approval identified in the comprehensive permit audit, the issuing agency shall: (i) provide a recommendation as to whether the approval should be eliminated, consolidated with another approval, or maintained; and (ii) indicate whether the authority for issuing such approval is statutory, regulatory, or administrative. Where a low-volume approval is purely administrative or authorized by regulation without specific statutory mandate, the agency shall, within 90 days of completing the audit, initiate the process to eliminate or consolidate such approval, unless the agency provides written justification to the Director explaining why the approval should be maintained.
(e) Review of Duplicative Approvals.
Where the comprehensive permit audit identifies multiple approvals that serve substantially similar purposes or require substantially similar information, the relevant agencies shall develop a plan for consolidating such approvals and submit the plan to the Director within 90 days of completing the audit. In the instance that duplicative approvals are identified in which one or multiple of such approvals are purely administrative or authorized by regulation without a specific statutory mandate, the agency shall initiate the process to eliminate or consolidate such approval(s) within 90 days of submitting the consolidation plan to the Director.
Section 6. Permit Transparency Portal
(a) Development and Implementation. The Director, in coordination with the state’s information technology agency, shall develop, implement, and maintain a publicly accessible online permit transparency portal.
(b) Timeline. The permit transparency portal shall be:
Launched in a pilot phase, including three agencies with approvals that have the highest financial impact on citizens of the state or the most approvals by volume made by the state, within 12 months of the effective date of this Act; and Fully implemented for all agencies within 24 months of the effective date of this Act.
(c) Required Features. The permit transparency portal shall include the following features:
A searchable database of all approval types offered by state agencies, including: (i) a description of each approval; (ii) the legal basis for each approval; (iii) application requirements and forms; (iv) associated fees; (v) expected processing timelines; and (vi) contact information for the individual or unit responsible for each step of an approval process. The ability for applicants to submit applications and supporting documentation electronically, and interoperable data exchange protocols enabling authorized agencies to access submitted applications and documentation. A tracking system that allows applicants to monitor the status of their applications through each procedural stage. Automated notification capabilities to alert applicants and agency staff of approaching or missed deadlines. The ability for applicants to pay fees electronically. An interactive map showing the geographic distribution of pending and approved applications, where applicable, to allow the tracking of the geographical distribution of individual permit types. Historical data on agency performance, including average processing times and compliance with established timelines. A dashboard displaying aggregated data on approval processing by agency.
(d) Integration Requirements. The permit transparency portal shall be designed to:
Integrate with existing agency permitting systems where possible; Minimize duplication of data entry; Ensure data security and privacy in accordance with state and federal law; and Comply with accessibility standards for persons with disabilities.
(e) Phased Implementation. The Director shall prioritize the integration of high-impact approvals into the permit transparency portal.
(f) Exclusions. Simple approvals that involve only a single procedural stage may be excluded from the tracking functionality of the permit transparency portal, though information about such approvals shall still be included in the database described in subsection (c)(1).
Section 7. Permitting Efficiency Reporting
(a) Annual Report. The Director shall prepare and publish an annual permitting efficiency report by [February 1] of each year, beginning the year following full implementation of the permit transparency portal.
(b) Report Contents. The annual report shall include:
Statistics on the number of approval applications received, processed, approved, and denied by each agency. The average processing time for each type of approval. The percentage of approvals processed within established timelines. For applications that have not met established timelines, an analysis of the reasons for delay, including: (i) delays caused by applicant responsiveness; (ii) delays caused by staff shortages; (iii) delays caused by scientific or technical concerns; and (iv) delays caused by public engagement processes. Year-over-year trends in processing times and efficiency metrics. Recommendations for program or system changes necessary to improve efficiency, and clear objectives as to the point at which an approval, procedure, program, or system may be considered efficient.
(c) Public Availability. The annual report shall be:
Posted on the Department’s website and the permit transparency portal; Submitted to the Governor; and Submitted to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over governmental operations, economic development, and environmental policy.
Section 8. Agency Responsibilities
(a) Cooperation. All agencies shall cooperate with the Program in the implementation of this Act, including by:
Conducting the comprehensive permit audit required under Section 5; Promptly providing data and information requested by the Director; Designating a liaison to coordinate with the Program; and Integrating agency approval processes with the permit transparency portal.
(b) Process Improvements. Each agency shall:
Review the results of its comprehensive permit audit to identify opportunities for streamlining approval processes; Develop and implement process improvements to reduce approval processing times; Establish clear timelines for each procedural stage in the approval process; Regularly review and update approval requirements to determine ongoing relevance and eliminate unnecessary or duplicative elements; and To the extent practicable, accept electronic submissions of approval applications and supporting documentation.
(c) Notification of Completeness. Within 10 business days of receiving an application for an approval subject to tracking on the permit transparency portal, the agency shall notify the applicant, in writing, whether the application is complete or incomplete. If the agency determines that an application is incomplete, the notice to the applicant must enumerate all deficiencies, citing specific provisions of the applicable rules and statutes, and advise the applicant on how the deficiencies can be remedied.
Section 9. Timeline Standards
(a) Establishment of Standards. Based on the results of the comprehensive permit audit, the Director shall work with agencies to establish target processing timelines for each type of approval.
(b) Transparency of Standards. The timeline standards established pursuant to subsection (a) shall be:
Published on the permit transparency portal; Included in application materials provided to applicants; and Used as benchmarks in the annual permitting efficiency report.
(c) Revision of Standards. The Director shall review and, if necessary, revise timeline standards at least once every five years.
Section 10. Funding and Resources
(a) Initial Implementation. For the initial implementation of this Act, including the development of the permit transparency portal, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Program the sum of $[AMOUNT] for the fiscal year ending [DATE].
(b) Ongoing Operations. For the ongoing operations of the Program and maintenance of the permit transparency portal, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Program the sum of $[AMOUNT] for each fiscal year.
(c) Fee Authority. The Director, working with agencies, may incorporate a reasonable surcharge into existing approval fees for the purpose of maintaining the permit transparency portal. This surcharge shall be a component of the total approval fee, not a separate charge, and shall be proportionate to the costs of maintaining and improving the portal. All funds collected through this surcharge shall be deposited in a special fund to be used solely for the maintenance and improvement of the portal.]
Section 11. Effective Date