1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to economic development projects;

3

providing a short title; creating s. 380.0657, F.S.;

4

requiring the Department of Environmental Protection and

5

water management districts to adopt programs to expedite

6

the processing of permits for certain economic development

7

projects; providing an exception; requiring a municipality

8

or county to identify certain businesses by resolution;

9

requiring a preapplication review; requiring that a permit

10

application be approved or denied within a certain period;

11

providing an effective date.

12

13

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

14

15

     Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Mike McHugh Act."

16

     Section 2.  Section 380.0657, Florida Statutes, is created

17

to read:

18

     380.0657 Expedited permitting process for economic

19

development projects.--

20

     (1) The Department of Environmental Protection and, as

21

appropriate, the water management districts created under chapter

22

373 shall adopt programs to expedite the processing of wetland

23

resource and environmental resource permits for economic

24

development projects that have been identified by a municipality

25

or county as meeting the definition of target industry businesses

26

under s. 288.106, with the exception of those projects requiring

27

approval by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement

28

Trust Fund.

29

     (2) A municipality or county shall provide an identified

30

business with a municipal or county commission resolution

31

identifying the business as a targeted industry business.

32

     (3) A mandatory preapplication review process is required

33

to reduce permitting conflicts by providing guidance to

34

applicants regarding the permits needed from each agency and

35

governmental entity, site planning and development, site

36

suitability and limitations, facility design, and steps the

37

applicant may take in order to ensure expeditious review of the

38

permit application.

39

     (4) A permit application must be approved or denied within

40

45 days after receipt of the original application, the last item

41

of timely requested additional material, or the applicant's

42

written request to begin processing the permit application.

43

     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.