HB 2002: Establishing One Stop Shop Permitting Process - West Virginia

Committee Substitute → Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to add legislative findings, define key terms, and clarify the Secretary of Administration's role in leading the One-Stop-Shop Permitting Program. The committee substitute also updated the definition of 'permitting agency' to include the Department of Agriculture and adjusted the refund requirements to apply to all late permit applications regardless of submission method.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include the Department of Agriculture as a participating agency and added a legislative finding statement to establish the program's public interest basis.

DEFINITION

Added a dedicated definitions section to clarify terms like 'permit' and 'permitting agency' with specific exemptions for certain divisions.

SCOPE

Expanded the list of participating agencies to include the Department of Agriculture, which was previously excluded from the definition.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the refund requirement language to apply to all late permit applications regardless of whether they were submitted through the dashboard or directly with agencies.

Updated the dashboard exclusivity requirement to reference the new definitions section rather than the old definitions section.

Added a legislative finding statement declaring the program serves the public interest to enhance transparency and predictability in permitting processes.

Strengthened the Secretary's role from coordinating to leading the implementation and execution of the permitting program.

Enrolled Version → Committee Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to reorganize sections and significantly expand the scope of participating agencies, add detailed refund requirements for late permit processing, and establish clearer rules for deadlines and fees. The changes aim to improve transparency and efficiency in West Virginia's permitting system by creating a more comprehensive 'one-stop-shop' dashboard.

Scope change

The scope of participating agencies was expanded to include the Department of Agriculture, and the definition of 'permit' was broadened to explicitly include business registrations. The bill now mandates exclusive use of the Permitting Dashboard starting July 1, 2027, with specific exceptions for accessibility compliance.

SCOPE

Added the Department of Agriculture to the list of participating permitting agencies.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'permit' to explicitly include business registrations alongside construction and infrastructure permits.

REQUIREMENT

Added detailed refund requirements for permits not processed within statutory deadlines, including specific conditions for when refunds do not apply.

Reorganized and expanded reporting requirements for permitting agencies to include data on neighboring states' processing times.

TIMELINE

Clarified that the Permitting Dashboard becomes the exclusive application method on July 1, 2027, with exceptions for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

FISCAL

Authorized the secretary to establish applicant fees to fund the Permitting Program and specifically for 'fast-track' processing.

Engrossed Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute → Enrolled Version · 3 edits · Apr 30, 2025

MINOR

The bill text was converted from the Committee Substitute version to the final Enrolled Version, which includes the Governor's signature and official certification. The substantive legislative content regarding the One-Stop-Shop Permitting Program remains unchanged, with no modifications to program requirements, fees, deadlines, or agency participation.

TECHNICAL

Removed internal legislative markup, page numbers, and committee headers that were present in the draft version.

Added official Enrolled Version formatting including Governor's signature lines, Clerk certifications, and final passage dates.

Converted line-by-line diff format into continuous bill text with proper section numbering and spacing.

Introduced Version → Engrossed Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute · 6 edits · Apr 9, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify definitions, adjust deadlines, and add protections for applicants. The most significant changes include extending the deadline for using the new Permitting Dashboard from January 1, 2027, to July 1, 2027, and adding specific language to protect confidential applicant information. The bill also now explicitly allows for paper applications before the mandatory dashboard date and clarifies which agencies are exempt from the program.

Scope change

The bill's scope was clarified by adding a new 'Definitions' section and expanding the list of exempt agencies to include the Division of Financial Institutions under the Department of Revenue.

TIMELINE

The deadline for applicants to use the mandatory Permitting Dashboard was extended from January 1, 2027, to July 1, 2027, giving agencies more time to prepare.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added to protect applicants' financial and proprietary information from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

New provisions allow applicants to submit paper applications or use existing agency systems before the mandatory dashboard date, ensuring no penalty is applied.

The reporting deadline for agencies to submit permit data to the secretary was moved from within sixty days of the effective date to on or before July 1, 2025.

DEFINITION

A new 'Definitions' section was created to clearly define terms like 'Permit' and 'Permitting agency' to reduce ambiguity.

ELIGIBILITY

The list of exempt agencies was updated to explicitly include the Division of Financial Institutions under the Department of Revenue.

Establishing One Stop Shop Permitting Process

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