SB 453 - State's Regulatory Environment

• Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee shall conduct a study examining the state's regulatory environment and its impact on businesses, with findings due by February 1, 2012.

• Departments of Environmental Protection, Public Health, Transportation, and Economic and Community Development shall establish an online application system to expedite licensing and permitting, allow online filing, and track review progress of applications.

• Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall submit a plan by January 1, 2011 for an expedited permitting pilot program affecting at least 250 manufacturing or industrial facilities, with deemed approval of applications if decision not made within specified timeframe.

• Environmental Protection Commissioner shall provide compliance assistance to regulated entities similar to occupational safety consulting, where penalties are not issued during consultation if entity demonstrates good faith effort and noncompliance poses no direct threat to health or environment.

• Multiple regulatory provisions modernized to include general permits standards, require agencies to minimize impact on small businesses and minor activities, mandate federal regulatory comparison notices, and strengthen administrative procedures for environmental permits and discharges.