Obtaining the permits necessary for construction and other developments projects in Pennsylvania can be costly and time-consuming. This often discourages investment and job growth, as employers choose to start or expand their businesses in states with more efficient operations. Fortunately, the PA Chamber worked to advance important reforms that will modernize Pennsylvania’s permitting systems as part of the FY 2024-25 state budget. These reforms will improve Pennsylvania’s overall competitiveness and create a more predictable, efficient, and transparent state permitting system.
Our Solutions
The PA Chamber has long championed a set of comprehensive solutions to reform the permitting process, addressing state agency resources, permit deadlines, and updates to the permit appeals process. These reforms are tailored to drive more investment and expedite project approvals while ensuring safety and efficiency.
Pennsylvania’s 2024-25 state budget includes legislation know as the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) Program, which makes several key improvements to state permitting processes for several key PA Department of Environmental Protection permits that will reduce delays in development and business expansion projects, including:
- Allowing employers to work with third-party professionals to facilitate permit application reviews.
- Establishing timeframes with clear accountability measures for permit responses.
- Implementing measures for easier and more transparent tracking of permit applications.
These changes will help streamline the permitting process, further encouraging investment and job creation, and help ensure that the newly authorized funding for the PA Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (SITES) Program is successful in preparing business sites for development.
Collaboration and Advocacy
The PA Chamber worked closely with state legislators, particularly state Sen. Kristin Phillips Hill (R-York), who has advocated for permitting reform for many years, as well as Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia), Senate leaders Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) and Joe Pittman (R-Indiana), Gov. Shapiro, industry leaders, building trades, and other advocates to advance many of the bipartisan permitting reforms included in this year’s state budget.
Our advocacy efforts have also garnered widespread media attention:
- Business leaders, legislators address hot-button issue of permitting reform (CPBJ)
- Business leaders, lawmakers hope for bipartisan action on permitting reform (City & State)
- Chamber officials and lawmakers press for more aggressive permitting reform (Post-Gazette)
- Reformers say make state permits more like pizzas (The Center Square)
- Advocates: Lack of Pennsylvania permitting reform is costing jobs (Pittsburgh Business Times)
- Business leaders, policymakers aim to modernize PA’s permitting process (Broad + Liberty)
Business and Labor United
In a joint op-ed, PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein and Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council President Rob Bair last year highlighted the bipartisan support for permitting reform. They outlined the key steps state lawmakers should take, including:
- Allowing qualified third-party reviewers for permit applications.
- Ensuring state agency decisions will hold up in court.
- Introducing transparency by allowing applicants to track the status of their applications.
These newly enacted measures will streamline the state’s permitting process, enhance investment, and create jobs – benefiting businesses, workers, and communities all across Pennsylvania.