This bill creates a permitting coordinator within the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity.
This bill:
- defines terms;
- creates a permitting coordinator within the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (office), appointed by the executive director of the office;
- establishes duties for the permitting coordinator, including serving as a central point of contact for projects or activities requiring one or more state permits, providing permitting information and guidance, and facilitating coordination among state, federal, and tribal entities;
- authorizes the permitting coordinator to work with governmental entities to identify administrative and legislative changes that may improve the efficiency, transparency, and predictability of state permitting;
- clarifies that the permitting coordinator does not have the authority to issue, approve, deny, or modify a permit;
- authorizes the permitting coordinator to share information with state, federal, tribal, and local governmental entities on permitting matters;
- clarifies that the permitting coordinator's activities and sharing of information with other governmental entities does not obligate the state or a permitting agency to approve a permit or enter into a binding agreement; and
- requires the office to include, in the office's annual report, a summary of the permitting coordinator's assistance and coordination activities and any recommendations for administrative or legislative changes to improve state permitting.