Senate Bill 744 Summary

• Restricts state wetlands definition to align with federal wetlands definitions under 33 C.F.R. § 328.3 and 40 C.F.R. § 230.3, with Environmental Management Commission to adopt permanent rule.

• Establishes express review program for environmental permits with specified processing timelines: 45 days for stormwater, stream origination, and water quality permits; 15 days for erosion control permits; and 60 days for Coastal Area Management Act permits.

• Implements automatic permit approval if Department of Environmental Quality fails to issue or deny permits within extended deadlines: 90 days for stormwater, 60 days for stream and water quality certifications, 30 days for erosion control, and 75 days for CAMA permits.

• Caps express review permit application fees at $5,500 for all permits, $4,500 for four-permit combinations, and $4,000 for other combinations, with $1,000 refund if permits exceed processing days.

• Eliminates field surveys, signed sealed plans, site inspections, and permittee burden of proof for fast-track stormwater permits, requiring Division action within 30 days of receiving complete as-built documentation.