HEA 1217 Summary

• Amends Indiana Code definitions of "permit" to clarify that for IC 14-34, a permit means a permit issued under IC 14-34 to conduct a surface coal mining and reclamation operation, effective July 1, 2014.

• Requires the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Management to develop and implement by January 1, 2015 a process to improve efficiency and transparency for water quality certifications, state regulated wetland permits, and floodway structure/obstruction permits.

• Mandates the departments determine how to inform applicants of permit requirements and ensure applicants know all state permits needed for their work.

• Requires modification of application forms and processes to eliminate duplicate information requests between the two departments.

• Directs the departments to establish a single point of contact system for permit distribution, application information gathering, and permit issuance, with internal processes to monitor timely application review and processing.