| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to expedited permitting process for |
| 3 | economic development projects; providing a short title; |
| 4 | creating s. 380.0657, F.S.; requiring the Department of |
| 5 | Environmental Protection and water management districts to |
| 6 | adopt programs to expedite the processing of permits for |
| 7 | certain economic development projects; providing an |
| 8 | exception; requiring municipalities and counties to |
| 9 | identify certain businesses by commission resolution; |
| 10 | requiring a preapplication review; providing a timeframe |
| 11 | for permit application approval or denial; providing an |
| 12 | effective date. |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Mike McHugh Act." |
| 17 | Section 2. Section 380.0657, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 18 | to read: |
| 19 | 380.0657 Expedited permitting process for economic |
| 20 | development projects.-- |
| 21 | (1) The Department of Environmental Protection and, as |
| 22 | appropriate, the water management districts created under |
| 23 | chapter 373 shall adopt programs to expedite the processing of |
| 24 | wetland resource and environmental resource permits for economic |
| 25 | development projects that have been identified by a municipality |
| 26 | or county as meeting the definition of target industry |
| 27 | businesses under s. 288.106, with the exception of those |
| 28 | projects requiring approval by the Board of Trustees of the |
| 29 | Internal Improvement Trust Fund. |
| 30 | (2) A municipality or county shall provide an identified |
| 31 | business with a city or county commission resolution identifying |
| 32 | the business as a targeted industry business. |
| 33 | (3) A mandatory preapplication review process shall be |
| 34 | required to reduce permitting conflicts by providing guidance to |
| 35 | applicants regarding the permits needed from each agency and |
| 36 | governmental entity, site planning and development, site |
| 37 | suitability and limitations, facility design, and steps the |
| 38 | applicant can take to ensure expeditious permit application |
| 39 | review. |
| 40 | (4) A permit application shall be approved or denied |
| 41 | within 45 days after receipt of the original application, the |
| 42 | last item of timely requested additional material, or the |
| 43 | applicant's written request to begin processing the permit |
| 44 | application. |
| 45 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |