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Committee debates bill requiring state agencies to report permit counts, timelines; staff and software needs cited
Summary
House Bill 74 would require state agencies that issue permits affecting real property to track and report counts and processing times. Lawmakers and agency officials debated the technical and budgetary hurdles, including multiple agency databases, startup staffing and a tight first-report deadline.
House Finance Committee members heard detailed testimony on House Bill 74, which would require agencies that issue permits involving real property to track how many permits they issue and how long those permits take to process. Representative Carol McGuire (Merrimack 27) introduced the measure and said it aims to create data lawmakers and managers can use to evaluate timelines and fees.
"House Bill 74 requires agencies that issue permits involving real property ... to track and report how many they issue and how long it takes," Representative Carol McGuire said. "We think this is something that those agencies should be tracking already since it's a significant issue."
The bill targets permits issued primarily by the Department of Environmental Services (DES) — for wetlands, shoreland, alteration of terrain and related matters — and by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for driveway and right‑of‑way permits. McGuire and several…
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