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Sponsor says independent permitting would speed building; building officials urge caution on SB 188
Summary
SB 188 would allow licensed third‑party plan review and inspections as an alternative to local building department inspections. Supporters say the measure speeds permitting and helps towns with limited inspector capacity; building officials and municipal groups raised concerns about code conflicts, approval authority and oversight.
Senator Keith Murphy, prime sponsor: The committee opened SB 188, a bill that would allow property owners or builders to obtain plan review and field inspections from third‑party, licensed providers in lieu of municipal building department inspections in order to accelerate permitting and address local capacity constraints. Senator Murphy said statutes in several other states permit independent permitting and that the bill would provide an option for municipalities and builders.
Sponsor case: Murphy described the proposal as an option for towns with backlogs, noting some larger towns already use third‑party inspections for specialized elements. He said the bill was modeled on…
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