Committee advances bill to create central permitting pilot with qualification safeguards

The House Committee on Labor voted to pass HB 2140 HD1 with amendments on Feb. 19, adopting language to clarify that candidates must meet minimum qualification requirements and replacing references to 'personnel department' with 'hiring department.' The committee also extended the pilot program’s termination date to Dec. 31, 2030 to match the pilot’s revenue source.

Mary Alice Evans of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development told the committee the office stands on its written testimony in support and offered technical amendments. The measure drew support from municipal and county planning representatives who provided written comments. During decision making the committee adopted Department of Human Resources suggested language to clarify candidate qualifications and made technical edits for clarity and consistency.

The committee recorded the recommendation to pass with amendments and adopted it in the decision session.