Read the full stored bill text
House
File
2484
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2484
BY
HARRIS
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
creating
a
permit
transparency
program
under
the
1
administration
of
the
department
of
inspections,
appeals,
2
and
licensing.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
H.F.
2484
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.541
Definitions.
1
For
purposes
of
this
part:
2
1.
“Agency”
means
a
board,
commission,
committee,
or
council
3
under
the
purview
of
the
department.
4
2.
“Permit”
means
a
permit,
license,
certification,
5
registration,
or
other
form
of
authorization
that
a
regulated
6
party
must
obtain
from
an
agency
to
engage
in
an
activity.
7
3.
“Permit
transparency
portal”
means
the
online
platform
8
established
pursuant
to
section
10A.544
that
allows
for
the
9
tracking
of
permit
applications.
10
4.
“Procedural
stage”
means
a
distinct
step
in
the
permit
11
process
at
which
an
application
is
transferred
or
reviewed
for
12
approval.
13
5.
“Program”
means
the
permit
transparency
program
14
established
pursuant
to
section
10A.542.
15
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.542
Permit
transparency
program.
16
1.
The
department
shall
establish
and
administer
a
permit
17
transparency
program.
18
2.
In
administering
the
permit
transparency
program,
the
19
department
shall
have
all
of
the
following
duties:
20
a.
Establish
standards
for
permit
processing
timelines.
21
b.
Provide
technical
assistance
to
agencies
in
mapping
22
permit
processes.
23
c.
Develop
standardized
metrics
for
measuring
the
efficiency
24
of
permit
processes.
25
d.
Recommend
statutory
or
regulatory
changes
to
the
governor
26
and
general
assembly
for
improving
permit
approval
processes.
27
e.
Maintain
an
inventory
of
each
active
permit
type
issued
28
by
an
agency.
29
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.543
Permit
transparency
30
coordination
committee.
31
1.
There
is
established
a
permit
transparency
coordination
32
committee
within
the
department
composed
of
representatives
33
from
each
agency
that
issues
permits.
34
2.
The
committee
shall
meet
at
least
quarterly
to
do
all
of
35
-1-
LSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
1/
6
H.F.
2484
the
following:
1
a.
Share
best
practices
in
permit
processing.
2
b.
Identify
opportunities
for
collaboration
between
3
agencies.
4
c.
Develop
recommendations
for
improving
the
state’s
5
permitting
processes.
6
3.
The
committee
shall
be
chaired
by
the
director.
7
4.
The
committee
is
not
subject
to
section
4A.5.
8
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.544
Permit
transparency
portal.
9
1.
The
director
shall
develop
and
maintain
a
publicly
10
accessible
online
permit
transparency
portal
which
must
include
11
all
of
the
following
features:
12
a.
A
searchable
database
of
each
permit
type
offered
by
13
an
agency
that
includes
a
description
of
each
permit,
the
14
legal
basis
for
each
permit,
application
requirements
and
15
forms,
permit
fees,
expected
processing
timelines,
and
contact
16
information
for
the
person
responsible
for
each
step
of
a
17
permit
approval
process.
18
b.
The
ability
to
submit
an
application
and
supporting
19
documentation
electronically.
20
c.
A
tracking
system
that
allows
an
applicant
to
monitor
the
21
status
of
the
applicant’s
applications
through
each
procedural
22
stage.
A
permit
with
only
a
single
procedural
stage
may
be
23
excluded
from
the
tracking
system.
24
d.
Automated
notifications
of
application
deadlines.
25
e.
The
ability
to
pay
an
application
fee
electronically.
26
f.
An
interactive
map
showing
the
geographic
distribution
of
27
pending
and
approved
applications.
28
g.
Historical
data
on
average
processing
times.
29
2.
The
permit
transparency
portal
must
be
designed
to
do
all
30
of
the
following:
31
a.
Integrate
with
existing
agency
permitting
systems.
32
b.
Minimize
duplication
of
data
entry.
33
c.
Ensure
data
security
and
privacy.
34
d.
Comply
with
accessibility
standards
for
persons
with
35
-2-
LSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
2/
6
H.F.
2484
disabilities.
1
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.545
Report.
2
1.
The
director
shall
submit
to
the
governor
and
the
general
3
assembly
a
permitting
efficiency
report
by
February
1
of
each
4
year
that
must
include
all
of
the
following:
5
a.
Statistics
on
the
number
of
permit
applications
received,
6
approved,
and
denied
by
each
agency.
7
b.
The
average
processing
time
for
each
type
of
permit.
8
c.
The
percentage
of
permits
that
have
not
met
established
9
timelines
and
an
analysis
of
the
reasons
for
delay.
10
d.
Efficiency
metrics.
11
e.
Recommendations
to
improve
efficiency.
12
2.
The
annual
report
shall
be
posted
on
the
department’s
13
internet
site
and
the
permit
transparency
portal.
14
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.546
Agency
responsibilities.
15
Each
agency
shall
do
all
of
the
following:
16
1.
Designate
a
liaison
to
coordinate
with
the
program.
17
2.
Integrate
agency
permit
processes
with
the
permit
18
transparency
portal.
19
3.
Establish
a
timeline
for
each
procedural
stage
in
the
20
permit
approval
process.
21
4.
Accept
electronic
submissions
of
applications
and
22
supporting
documentation
to
the
extent
practicable.
23
5.
Within
ten
business
days
of
receiving
an
application,
24
the
agency
shall
notify
the
applicant
in
writing
of
whether
25
the
application
is
complete.
If
the
agency
determines
that
26
an
application
is
incomplete,
the
notice
to
the
applicant
27
must
enumerate
each
deficiency,
citing
the
applicable
rule
or
28
statute,
and
how
to
remedy
the
deficiency.
29
Sec.
7.
NEW
SECTION
.
10A.547
Timeline
standards.
30
1.
The
director
shall
work
with
agencies
to
establish
target
31
processing
timelines
for
each
type
of
permit.
32
2.
The
timeline
standards
shall
be
published
on
the
permit
33
transparency
portal
and
included
in
application
materials
34
provided
to
applicants.
35
-3-
LSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
3/
6
H.F.
2484
3.
The
director
shall
review
and,
if
necessary,
revise
the
1
timeline
standards
at
least
once
every
five
years.
2
Sec.
8.
PERMIT
AUDIT.
3
1.
Within
one
hundred
eighty
days
of
the
effective
date
4
of
this
Act,
each
agency,
as
defined
in
section
10A.541,
as
5
enacted
by
this
Act,
shall
conduct
an
audit
of
the
agency’s
6
permits
and
submit
the
results
to
the
director
of
the
7
department
of
inspections,
appeals,
and
licensing.
For
each
8
type
of
permit,
the
audit
must
include
all
of
the
following:
9
a.
A
description
of
the
permit
and
the
legal
basis
for
the
10
permit.
11
b.
The
annual
number
of
applications
processed
for
the
12
previous
three
years.
13
c.
The
average
processing
time
for
each
type
of
permit.
14
d.
Any
fee
associated
with
the
permit.
15
e.
A
detailed
mapping
of
each
procedural
stage
in
the
permit
16
approval
process.
17
f.
Whether
applications
are
accepted
electronically.
18
g.
Recommendations
for
eliminating
the
permit
or
a
19
procedural
stage
of
the
permit
approval
process.
20
h.
Recommendations
for
an
appropriate
processing
timeline.
21
2.
An
agency
shall,
within
ninety
days
of
completing
the
22
audit,
initiate
the
process
to
eliminate
any
permit
with
five
23
or
fewer
issuances
per
year
that
are
not
required
by
statute,
24
unless
the
director
waives
the
requirement
for
the
permit.
25
3.
An
agency
shall,
within
ninety
days
of
completing
the
26
audit,
initiate
the
process
to
eliminate
or
consolidate
any
27
permits
that
serve
substantially
similar
purposes
or
require
28
substantially
similar
information
and
that
are
not
required
by
29
statute.
30
EXPLANATION
31
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
32
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
33
This
bill
establishes
a
permit
transparency
program
34
(program)
under
the
administration
of
the
department
of
35
-4-
LSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
4/
6
H.F.
2484
inspections,
appeals,
and
licensing
(department).
The
1
department
must
establish
standards
for
permit
processing
2
timelines,
provide
technical
assistance
to
agencies
in
mapping
3
permit
approval
processes,
develop
standardized
metrics
for
4
measuring
permit
approval
efficiency,
recommend
statutory
or
5
regulatory
changes
for
improving
permit
processes,
and
maintain
6
an
inventory
of
each
active
permit
type
issued
by
an
agency.
7
For
purposes
of
the
bill,
an
agency
is
a
board,
commission,
8
committee,
or
council
under
the
purview
of
the
department.
9
The
bill
establishes
a
permit
transparency
coordination
10
committee
composed
of
members
from
each
agency
that
issues
11
permits.
The
committee
must
meet
at
least
quarterly
to
share
12
best
practices
in
permit
processing,
identify
opportunities
13
for
interagency
collaboration,
and
make
recommendations
for
14
improving
permitting
processes.
15
The
bill
requires
the
director
of
the
department
(director)
16
to
develop
and
maintain
a
publicly
accessible
online
permit
17
transparency
portal
that
includes
a
searchable
database
with
18
information
about
each
permit
type
offered
by
an
agency,
the
19
ability
to
submit
an
application
electronically,
and
the
20
ability
to
pay
an
application
fee
electronically,
among
other
21
features.
22
The
director
must
submit
to
the
governor
and
the
general
23
assembly
an
annual
permitting
efficiency
report
and
work
with
24
agencies
to
establish
processing
timelines
for
each
type
of
25
permit.
26
The
bill
requires
each
agency
to
designate
a
liaison
to
27
coordinate
with
the
program,
integrate
agency
permit
processes
28
with
the
permit
transparency
portal,
establish
a
timeline
for
29
each
procedural
stage
in
the
permit
approval
process,
and
30
accept
electronic
submissions
of
applications
and
supporting
31
documentation
to
the
extent
practicable.
Within
10
business
32
days
of
receiving
an
application,
an
agency
must
notify
the
33
applicant
of
any
deficiency
in
the
application,
citing
the
34
applicable
rule
or
statute,
and
advise
the
applicant
how
to
35
-5-
LSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
5/
6
H.F.
2484
remedy
the
deficiency.
1
Within
180
days
of
July
1,
2026,
each
agency
must
submit
2
to
the
director
an
audit
of
each
permit
issued
by
the
agency.
3
Within
90
days
of
completing
the
audit,
an
agency
must
4
initiate
the
process
to
eliminate
any
permit
with
five
or
5
fewer
issuances
per
year
that
is
not
required
by
statute,
6
unless
the
agency
receives
a
waiver
from
the
director,
and
any
7
permits
that
serve
substantially
similar
purposes
or
require
8
substantially
similar
information
and
that
are
not
required
by
9
statute.
10
-6-
LSB
5645YH
(2)
91
sc/ns
6/
6