Creating a permit transparency program under the administration of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing

This bill establishes a permit transparency program (program) under the administration of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (department). The department must establish standards for permit processing timelines, provide technical assistance to agencies in mapping permit approval processes, develop standardized metrics for measuring permit approval efficiency, recommend statutory or regulatory changes for improving permit processes, and maintain an inventory of each active permit type issued by an agency. For purposes of the bill, an agency is a board, commission, committee, or council under the purview of the department. The bill establishes a permit transparency coordination committee composed of members from each agency that issues permits. The committee must meet at least quarterly to share best practices in permit processing, identify opportunities for interagency collaboration, and make recommendations for improving permitting processes. The bill requires the director of the department (director) to develop and maintain a publicly accessible online permit transparency portal that includes a searchable database with information about each permit type offered by an agency, the ability to submit an application electronically, and the ability to pay an application fee electronically, among other features. The director must submit to the governor and the general assembly an annual permitting efficiency report and work with agencies to establish processing timelines for each type of permit. The bill requires each agency to designate a liaison to coordinate with the program, integrate agency permit processes with the permit transparency portal, establish a timeline for each procedural stage in the permit approval process, and accept electronic submissions of applications and supporting documentation to the extent practicable. Within 10 business days of receiving an application, an agency must notify the applicant of any deficiency in the application, citing the applicable rule or statute, and advise the applicant how to remedy the deficiency. Within 180 days of July 1, 2026, each agency must submit to the director an audit of each permit issued by the agency. Within 90 days of completing the audit, an agency must initiate the process to eliminate any permit with five or fewer issuances per year that is not required by statute, unless the agency receives a waiver from the director, and any permits that serve substantially similar purposes or require substantially similar information and that are not required by statute.