In collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the PA Chamber will host a media call tomorrow morning alongside state legislative leaders outlining permitting reform efforts currently underway at the state and federal levels. 

In addition to adopting more business-friendly tax and regulatory policies, permitting reform is essential for ensuring that Pennsylvania can lead the future by building a more modernized public infrastructure system, establishing advanced manufacturing hubs in innovative industries, and continuing to provide the energy and goods needed in a diverse, 21st century economy. 

Earlier this summer, the PA Chamber spearheaded a group of 68 leading business associations and local chambers of commerce in sending a letter to Governor Josh Shapiro and members of the Pennsylvania state legislature, urging them to take decisive action in reforming the state’s “dysfunctional and unpredictable permitting system.” 

As an alternative, we’ve outlined a comprehensive set of solutions to reform the state permitting process. These include: 

• Requiring state agencies to follow specific timeframes for issuing state permits and providing that permits are “deemed approved” if an agency fails to meet the required deadline. 
• Allowing for qualified, third-parties to review permit applications. 
• Providing certainty to state agencies that their decisions will stand up in court. 
• Limiting attorney’s fees to combat frivolous lawsuits. 
• Introducing transparency by allowing applicants to view the status of their applications. 

Many of these reforms are contained within Senate Bill 350, which passed the state Senate in May with bipartisan support and is currently awaiting action in the House State Government Committee. 

At the federal level, the U.S. Chamber calls the broken permitting system “the single biggest obstacle to building the infrastructure of the future.” The PA Chamber is a member of the U.S. Chamber’s Permit America to Build coalition and sent a letter to Congress this spring urging bipartisan action on federal permitting improvements. 

Pennsylvania businesses are ready to unlock investment, unleash innovation, and modernize our infrastructure. The PA Chamber will continue to advocate for legislative solutions that will empower the private sector to break ground on critical infrastructural improvements that we need to be competitive.