BILL REQ. #:  S-3491.2 

Read first time 01/15/2004.   Referred to Committee on Land Use & Planning.

     AN ACT Relating to permit timelines; and adding a new section to chapter 43.42 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.42 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that there are numerous efforts ongoing to streamline and improve permitting processes. These include the work of the transportation permit efficiency and accountability committee, chapter 47.06C RCW, and the efforts of the office of regulatory assistance to develop an integrated permit system, chapter 245, Laws of 2003. While these efforts are ongoing and likely to yield procedural improvements in permit processing by 2006, there is an immediate need to coordinate permitting timelines for large, multiagency permit streamlining efforts.
     (2) With the agreement of all involved agencies and the permit applicant, state permitting agencies may make a determination of the timelines that will be used by each participating permit agency to make permit decisions, including the time periods required to determine if the permit applications are complete, to review the application or applications, and to process the component permits. The time periods may not be less than those otherwise required for each individual permit, but may extend and coordinate those time periods. The goal of the concurrent timeline is to achieve the maximum efficiencies possible through concurrent studies, consolidated applications, permit review, hearings, and comment periods. A timeline established under this subsection, with the assent of each permitting agency, must commit each permitting agency to act on each component permit within these time periods.