Summary — HB 5639
Title: AN ACT ELIMINATING FEES RELATED TO THE PROCUREMENT OF CERTAIN PERMITS
Filed: March 14, 2025
Subject: fees; permits
Current status (procedural highlights): Referred to Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security; subsequently considered in committee, reported as substituted, passed a chamber (May 10, 2025), received from the House (May 12), and referred to Veterans Affairs (May 19, 2025).
Main purpose
The bill’s stated purpose (from the title) is to eliminate fees associated with obtaining specified permits. The publicly provided bill metadata does not include the bill text itself, so the precise permits and statutory fee provisions to be repealed or amended are not identified in the available record.
Key provisions (based on title and legislative actions)
- Eliminates one or more existing fees charged for procurement (application, issuance, renewal, or similar) of certain permits.
- A committee substitute was prepared and reported favorably, indicating amendments were made in committee before passage in at least one chamber.
- The measure appears to move between committees with subject-matter relevance to public safety, corrections, and veterans affairs, implying the affected permits may relate to public safety/regulatory programs (exact scope not specified).
Because the bill text is not provided, the following specifics are unknown from the available record:
- Which permits (e.g., occupational, firearm, hunting, professional, building, veteran-related) are affected
- Whether eliminations are permanent or temporary
- Any compensatory funding or appropriation language to offset revenue loss
- Effective date or phased implementation
Who would be affected
- Permit applicants: individuals, businesses, or organizations who currently pay the targeted fees would benefit from reduced out-of-pocket costs.
- State and local agencies that collect those fees: potential loss of fee revenue used to cover program administration, enforcement, or related services.
- Service delivery and public-safety programs: if fees currently fund permit processing or compliance oversight, elimination could change staffing, processing times, or require alternate funding.
Fiscal and administrative considerations
- Revenue impact: eliminating permit fees will reduce fee-based revenue; magnitude depends on which permits and the amounts involved (not specified).
- Budget implications: absent replacement funding, affected agencies may need appropriations from general funds, program reductions, or operational changes.
- Administrative impact: possible increase in application volume when fees are removed; updated forms, IT systems, and statutory citations may be required.
Procedural timeline (selected actions)
- 2025-03-14: Filed
- 2025-04-07 to 04-30: Referred to committees; public hearings; committee substitute considered
- 2025-05-05: Committee report filed/distributed
- 2025-05-09 to 05-10: Passed one chamber (readings, votes, engrossed)
- 2025-05-12: Received from the House
- 2025-05-19: Read first time in the receiving chamber; referred to Veterans Affairs
Recommendations / next steps to fully assess impact
- Obtain the full bill text (including any committee substitute) to identify the specific permits and statutory sections affected.
- Review the bill’s fiscal note or agency cost estimate to quantify revenue and budget impacts.
- Read committee reports and testimony (April hearings) for intent, affected programs, and stakeholder positions.
- Track any amendments in the receiving chamber and final enactment language for effective dates and appropriations.
If you want, I can: (a) search for the full text and fiscal note, (b) summarize committee testimony, or (c) draft an impact memo once the precise permits are identified.
