What's happening
This bill requires New York state agencies to publicly report permit processing times annually and refund fees if deadlines are not met.
Why it matters
Mandates detailed transparency. By requiring agencies to publish the average, shortest, and longest processing times for each permit type, the bill gives businesses and individuals clearer expectations and data on bureaucratic delays, potentially highlighting inefficiencies or bottlenecks.
Public accountability. The requirement to post reports both online and on the front page of permit applications makes it much harder for agencies to obscure slow processing, empowering applicants to hold agencies accountable and compare performance over time.
Direct financial incentive for efficiency. Agencies must refund all fees if they exceed a set processing window (134% of last year’s average), creating a tangible consequence for bureaucratic delays and strong motivation to streamline internal processes.
Potential impact on agency operations. The need to track, report, and meet deadlines may push agencies to invest in better systems or hire additional staff, possibly changing how government services are delivered and affecting agency budgets.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Disclose Permit Processing Times
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 40
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 54–8
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.783
- Referred to finance
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to governmental operations
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 55–6
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.749
- Referred to finance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Permit Processing Transparency
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Carrie Woerner
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2364
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sens. MURPHY, GALLIVAN, MARCHIONE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state agencies which issue licenses, registrations, permits and/or certifications to annually report on the periods of time taken to process each application therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "honesty in permit processing act".
§ 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 164-e to read as follows:
§ 164-e. License and permit application processing; annual reports. 1. For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Permit" shall mean any permit, license, certification, registration or approval issued by a state agency, which is required by law, rule or regulation.
(b) "State agency" shall mean any department, board, bureau, commission, division, authority, office, council or agency of the state.
2. Every state agency, which processes and issues one hundred or more permits during a calendar year, shall, on or before February fifteenth each year, issue and publish a report on its permit processing time periods during the preceding calendar year, which shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) the average time it took to process applications for each specific type of permit from the receipt of the application therefor until the issuance or denial of such permit; and
(b) the shortest and longest periods of time it took to process an application for each specific type of permit.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02347-01-7
S. 2364 2
3. The report required by subdivision two of this section shall be submitted to the governor and the legislature, and be published and distributed, in both written and electronic forms, for access by the public. Each state agency shall post, on its internet homepage, the most recent report it has issued pursuant to subdivision two of this section.
4. The information compiled pursuant to subdivision two of this section, for each specific permit shall be printed on the cover page of the application for such permit.
5. Each state agency shall annually process applications for permits within a time period which is equal to or less than one hundred thirtyfour percent of the average time period for processing applications for that type of permit during the preceding calendar year. In any instance in which a state agency fails to process an application within such time period, such agency shall immediately refund to the permit applicant all charges and fees imposed as a condition of submitting such permit application.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state agencies which issue licenses, registrations, permits and/or certifications to annually report on the periods of time taken to process each application therefor
Purpose or general idea of bill
Requires state agencies totally report to the public on the time periods for processing applications, of each type of permit, license, registration and certification.
Summary of provisions
Section one establishes the short title, "honesty in permit processing act."
Section two amends the executive law to add a new section 164-e which defines permit and state agency in subdivision one. Subdivision two requires state agencies that process 100 or more permits in a calendar year to publish a report for all permits it processes, including the average time for each permit and the shortest and longest time for each permit. Subdivision three requires the report to be submitted to the Executive and the Legislature and be posted on each state agency's internet homepage. Subdivision four requires the information from subdivision two to be printed on the application for each type of permit. Subdivision five requires state agencies to process permits within 1346 of the average time for that permit. If they fail to do so, they must refund the permit fee to the applicant.
Section three establishes the effective date.
Existing law
State agencies are currently in no way accountable to the consumers and taxpayers who fund their operations.
Justification
Many state agencies, notably the State Liquor Authority (SLA) and the State Education Department (SED), have large backlogs for various permits. Yet many New Yorkers depend upon these agencies for permits necessary to get a job, run a business ox enjoy recreational activities. It is only fair to these applicants that the state provides them with some expectation of how long they'll have to wait. When people's livelihoods are depending on these permits, its not unreasonable for the State to inform them of a likely processing time.
Prior legislative history
S.2461 of 2012: Passed Senate S.524 of 2010: Referred to Finance S.7132 of 2008: Passed Senate S.968 of 2014: Referred to Finance S.1666 of 2015: Passed Senate S.6579 of 2016: Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take on the first of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.