Bills / H.B. 437
H.B. 437 Environmental Permitting Amendments
- Introduced
- House committee
- House vote
- Senate committee
- Senate vote
- Signed into law
What this bill does
The bill would let permit applicants, if they choose, hire qualified and vetted third-party professionals such as engineers, land surveyors, geologists, and landscape architects to prepare certain environmental permit applications before they go to the Department of Environmental Quality or the oil, gas and mining division. Those professionals would need background and conflict-of-interest checks, and the state would still review and approve the final permit.
Plain-English summary written by AI from the sponsor’s presentation in committee and on the floor. Check the official text below.
Official description
- defines terms
- authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality (department) and Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining (division) to make rules to:
- identify a permit administered by the department or division as a permit eligible for expedited review
- establish requirements for the expedited review process
- certify a qualified reviewer
- authorize a qualified reviewer to complete an expedited review of an eligible permit
- establish the maximum number of a days for a qualified reviewer to complete an expedited review
- requires the department and division to conduct a technical review and make a final administrative decision for a permit application upon completion of an expedited review
- makes technical and conforming changes
What it costs you
- State spending from tax funds goes up by $114,900 in FY2027.
- The official fiscal note on residents and businesses:
Enactment of this legislation could cost businesses who apply for an eligible permit and request an expedited review at the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining, or Department of Environmental Quality $112,400 in aggregate for fees associated with the expedited review.
From the bill's latest official fiscal note, counting the state's tax funds (General, Income Tax, Education, Uniform School, and Transportation) in the first full budget year after the session. Some bills take effect partway through that year, so later years can be larger; the note shows each year. Household count: U.S. Census Bureau. An average is a starting point, not your bill.
Your legislators on this bill
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Quotes come from the official recordings' automatic captions, which can mishear words. Speakers and summaries are identified by AI and can be wrong. Use the ▶ links to check the recording.
Take action
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Every vote
- 7 yes, 0 no, 5 absentHouse Public Utilities and Energy Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 12, 2026Who voted how
- 67 yes, 0 no, 8 absentFinal House vote · Feb 20, 2026Who voted how
- 3 yes, 1 no, 3 absentSenate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 27, 2026Who voted how
- 23 yes, 6 noFinal Senate vote · Mar 4, 2026Who voted how
Hearings and debates
- Feb 12, 2026 House Public Utilities and Energy Committee▶ WatchRead the transcript (32 turns) →
- Feb 20, 2026 House floor debate▶ WatchRead the transcript (5 turns) →
- Feb 20, 2026 House floor debate▶ WatchRead the transcript (6 turns) →
- Feb 27, 2026 Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee▶ WatchRead the transcript (15 turns) →
- Mar 4, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ WatchRead the transcript (6 turns) →