PRINTER'S NO. 1561
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1284
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY PEIFER, PICKETT, DRISCOLL, DUNBAR, M. K. KELLER,
OBERLANDER, DAVIS, O'NEILL, BAKER, GROVE, KAUFFMAN, R. BROWN,
CAUSER, MILLARD, BLOOM, SANKEY, B. MILLER, PASHINSKI, HELM,
D. COSTA, ZIMMERMAN, KEEFER AND GILLEN, APRIL 25, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, APRIL 25, 2017
AN ACT
Providing for the Pennsylvania Business Permitting Portal within
the Department of Community and Economic Development; and
establishing the Pennsylvania Business Permitting Portal
Advisory Board.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
Business Permitting Portal Act.
Section 2. Legislative intent.
The General Assembly recognizes the following public policy
purposes and declares the following objectives of the
Commonwealth are to be served by this act:
(1) To provide one-stop services to assist businesses in
identifying and securing appropriate permits, licenses,
certifications, applications, forms and registrations needed
to establish and operate a business in this Commonwealth.
(2) To establish the Pennsylvania Business Permitting
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Portal to provide an electronic single access point to aid
existing and potential business owners in completing the
various business registration forms and permit applications
required to establish and operate a business in this
Commonwealth.
(3) To provide for the compilation of a comprehensive
listing of all permits required by Commonwealth agencies and
categorize the required permits into a format that is readily
available to business owners.
(4) To promote efficient dialogue between permit
applicants and the Commonwealth agency responsible for the
review of permit applications.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Board." The Pennsylvania Business Permitting Portal
Advisory Board established under section 8.
"Commonwealth agencies." Any office, department, authority,
board or commission of the Executive Department of the
Commonwealth.
"Department." The Department of Community and Economic
Development of the Commonwealth.
"Individual business account." A secure online account
maintained by the Department of Community and Economic
Development to store individualized information relating to a
business's activities through the permitting portal.
"Local permitting authorities." Any municipality or
municipal authority which has the authority to issue a permit.
"Permit." The whole, part or the renewal of any permit,
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certificate, license, approval, registration, charter or any
other form of permission issued by a Commonwealth agency to
allow for the operation of a business in this Commonwealth.
"Permit application." Any request to a Commonwealth agency
which is necessary to obtain a permit.
"Permitting portal." The Pennsylvania Business Permitting
Portal established under section 4.
"Secretary." The Secretary of Community and Economic
Development.
Section 4. Establishment of the Pennsylvania Business
Permitting Portal.
(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish the
Pennsylvania Business Permitting Portal to provide a single
online access point to aid existing and potential business
owners in completing the necessary permit applications
associated with establishing and operating a business in this
Commonwealth.
(b) Permitting portal functions.--The permitting portal
shall, at a minimum, allow for the following:
(1) The creation of an individual business account to
store general information on the business, which will be used
to automatically fill in recurring fields on a permit
application.
(2) The electronic submission of a permit application.
(3) The electronic submission of permit fees or fines.
(4) The tracking of status of payments from Commonwealth
agencies to contractors.
(5) The tracking of pending permit applications.
(6) The recording of electronic signatures.
(7) Access to customized, agency-created to-do
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checklists specific to the individual business account.
(8) Online interaction with the department to resolve
difficulties with the permitting portal.
(9) Online interaction with Commonwealth agencies to
resolve questions relating to permit applications.
(10) The protection of the confidentiality of all
information submitted through the permitting portal.
(11) The recording of backup records of all activities,
including time-stamp information on the submission of permit
applications.
(12) The listing of information relating to local permit
application information for relevant local permitting
authorities.
Section 5. Cooperation between the department and Commonwealth
agencies.
(a) Permit identification.--The department shall coordinate
with the Commonwealth agencies to identify permits that are:
(1) Appropriate for inclusion in the permitting portal.
(2) Compatible with or that may be made compatible with
the permitting portal.
(b) Cooperation.--The department and Commonwealth agencies
shall cooperate in good faith to integrate the maximum number of
permits into the permitting portal.
Section 6. Preservation of Commonwealth agency authority.
(a) Existing regulatory authority.--This act shall not
supersede any regulatory authority granted to any Commonwealth
agency.
(b) Existing permit authority.--A Commonwealth agency listed
on the department's portal shall maintain final authority to do
the following:
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(1) Determine the permits appropriate for inclusion on
the permitting portal.
(2) Approve or deny permits according to applicable law.
(3) Determine the requirements for submission and
payment of permit application fees and fines.
Section 7. Liability.
This act shall not impose any liability on the department
resulting from the operation of the permitting portal.
Section 8. Pennsylvania Business Permitting Portal Advisory
Board.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
department an advisory board known as the Pennsylvania Business
Permitting Portal Advisory Board.
(b) Duties.--The board shall advise the department on ways
to ensure that the permitting portal system is operated in an
effective and user-friendly manner for existing and potential
business owners.
(c) Membership.--The board shall consist of seven members as
follows:
(1) The Secretary of Community and Economic Development
or his designee.
(2) One member appointed by the President pro tempore of
the Senate.
(3) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Senate.
(4) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(5) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(6) One member appointed by the Governor representing
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small business.
(7) One member appointed by the Governor representing
business or industry.
(d) Chairperson.--The secretary or his designee shall serve
as the chairperson. The board may elect additional officers as
it deems necessary.
(e) Terms.--Members shall serve without compensation at the
pleasure of the respective appointing authority, but shall be
reimbursed for expenses.
Section 9. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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