Bill: SB 13, 85(1) - 2017
Committee
Senate Business & Commerce
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| Yes |
Neutral |
Positive |
Neutral |
Positive |
Neutral |
Author(s)
Konni Burton
Bill Caption
Relating to the issuance of a permit by a political subdivision.
Fiscal Notes
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
SB 13 would streamline the process of applying for local building permits. Among other things, the bill would place tighter deadlines on local governments and regulatory bodies to act on permit applications, require opportunities for applicants to fix any deficiencies which may cause an application to be denied, create more certainty in the application process by requiring timely disclosure of any reasons for preliminary denial of an application, and create transparency by prohibiting permit denial for reasons not previously disclosed to the applicant.
Vote Recommendation Notes
Local regulations can tend to be as onerous, confusing, expensive, and frustrating as those imposed by higher levels of government. Often times regulatory barriers, lengthy and uncertain permitting processes, and shifting of goalposts by permitting authorities cause building projects to suffer lengthy and expensive delays or to never get off the ground at all. SB 13 would support limited government and property rights by requiring the process to be clear, fair, and reasonable. This bill leaves plenty of room for local governments to regulate building requirements as they see fit but prohibits them from using tactics that obfuscate, delay, and unnecessarily increase the cost of building projects. As a side benefit, this bill will likely reduce opportunities for graft and corruption in local permitting. For these reasons we support SB 13.
