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Bill

LC 649

Generally revise laws related to appeals to board of environmental review

2025 Regular Session

LC 649 would generally revise laws governing appeals to the Board of Environmental Review, reshaping appeal procedures, standing, and timelines for environmental decisions.

(LC) Draft Died in Process
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Bill Summary · LC 649

Summary of LC 649 — Generally revise laws related to appeals to board of environmental review

Basic bill information

  • Bill Number: LC 649
  • Title: Generally revise laws related to appeals to board of environmental review
  • Status: Draft Died in Process (as of 2025-05-22)
  • Introduced: October 30, 2024
  • Classification: bill
  • Subject: Environmental Protection, State Government
  • Legislative Actions:
    • 2024-10-30: Drafter Assigned
    • 2025-02-24: Draft On Hold
    • 2025-05-22: Draft Died in Process

What the bill is and what it aims to do

  • The bill’s title indicates it would generally revise existing laws governing appeals to the Board of Environmental Review (BER). The BER typically oversees environmental decisions related to permits, approvals, or actions by state agencies.
  • No text of the bill is provided here, so the specific changes, standards, or procedural reforms proposed by LC 649 are not publicly available in this summary.

Potential areas of impact (based on the title)

Because the actual provisions are not provided, the following are plausible areas such bills commonly address. The summary notes these as potential focus areas rather than confirmed provisions of LC 649:
- Procedural changes for appeals to BER: filing deadlines, required materials, and notice requirements.
- Standards of review and grounds for appeal: what grounds appellants must show to seek BER review (e.g., legal errors, procedural irregularities, compliance with environmental requirements).
- Timelines and decision deadlines: target dates by which BER must act and issue decisions.
- Standing and participation: who may appeal (property owners, applicants, third parties, public interest groups) and what participation rights exist.
- Interagency coordination: how BER decisions interact with other state environmental programs and agencies.
- Remedies and outcomes: possible BER orders, remands, or affirmations of agency decisions.
- Transparency and public process: requirements for public hearings, written decisions, and justification for rulings.

Who would be affected

  • Appellants: individuals or entities seeking BER review (e.g., developers, landowners, environmental groups, local governments).
  • Board of Environmental Review (BER) and staff: would implement any revised procedures or standards.
  • State environmental and administrative agencies: would interact with the appeals process and BER decisions.
  • General public: potential changes to public access, notice, and participation in environmental decision-making.

Procedural and timeline context

  • Introduction: Oct 30, 2024.
  • Draft status progression: Drafter Assigned (Oct 2024) → On Hold (Feb 2025) → Died in Process (May 2025).
  • Current status implication: The bill did not advance beyond the draft stage in the reported period, and there is no enacted text to implement or fund.

Fiscal and implementation notes

  • No fiscal data or cost estimates are provided here. If LC 649 is revived or reintroduced, session fiscal analyses would typically address administrative costs to BER, potential savings or costs from faster or slower appeals, and any required regulatory or statutory changes.

Next steps for readers

  • To understand the precise changes LC 649 would make, obtain the bill text and committee analysis from the legislative database.
  • Monitor for any reintroduction, amendments, or new status updates in subsequent sessions.
  • If tracking impacts for stakeholders, prepare to assess how revised appeal procedures could affect timelines, standing, and outcomes of BER reviews.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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