The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee recently advanced two bills that would increase transparency and remove bureaucratic red tape.
Senate Bill 28 would require state agencies that issue permits to post information about the permits that they grant on their publicly accessible website and create an accessible tracking system for applicants to check the status of their applications.
The system must clearly state the legal authority that the agency relies on when rejecting a permit application, and each agency must designate an employee as its regulatory compliance officer.
Senate Bill 32 would create the Independent Office of the Repealer within the Independent Regulatory Review Commission that would be repealed in 2027. The office would review regulations, receive and process recommendations on repeal, modification, or revision, evaluate the merits of recommendations, and make recommendations to the General Assembly, the governor, and executive agencies.
The General Assembly would have the ability to initiate the repeal of any regulation and would be required to vote on a concurrent resolution to approve an economically significant regulation.
The bill also requires that for every new regulation added, two regulations must be repealed.
Senate Bill 32 is part of the Republican’s Prioritize Pennsylvania: Small Businesses initiative announced last month.
Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) sponsored the bills.
The bills move to the Senate for consideration.