Mentioned 8× · first seen 08-jul-2026 · last seen 09-jul-2026

Environmental Permit Approval Process (HB5937)

Current understanding

HB5937 (103rd Michigan Legislature) proposes to modify the approval process for certain environmental permits by amending multiple sections of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (1994 PA 451), including secs. 1301, 1305, 1307, 3112, and 30307. The amendments span general permitting administration (Part 13), water resources protection (sec. 3112), and wetlands permit application requirements (sec. 30307), suggesting a cross-cutting procedural reform affecting EGLE’s handling of applications across multiple permit programs. The bill has passed one chamber.

Evidence log

2026-06-04 — Public employees and officers: state; designated job positions for state agencies that issue state permits; require. Creates new act.: HB5498 (passed chamber) would create a new act requiring state permit-issuing agencies to maintain designated job positions for permitting, complementing HB5937’s procedural approval-process reforms with a staffing-capacity mandate on the same agencies. (novelty: 3)
2026-06-17 — Environmental protection: permits; deadline for the department to require changes to an application for certain permits; provide. Amends sec. 30306 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30306).: cross-connection with wetlands-permit-regulation: HB6038’s deadline on EGLE change requests under sec. 30306 complements HB5937’s broader modifications to secs. 1301, 1305, 1307, 3112 and 30307 of the same act, part of a coordinated tightening of NREPA permit review timelines. (novelty: 2)
2026-06-25 — Environmental protection: permits; revisions of permit applications; limit. Amends sec. 30307 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30307).: HB5938 (passed chamber) also amends sec. 30307 to cap revisions to permit applications, narrowing in on one of the same wetlands-permit sections HB5937 sweeps into its broader package. (novelty: 2)
2026-06-25 — Environmental protection: permits; approval process for certain permits; modify. Amends secs. 1301, 1305, 1307, 3112 & 30307 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.1301 et seq.).: cross-connection with environmental-permit-fee-refunds: HB5937 amends sec. 1307 (the same section HB5936 targets) as part of a package touching secs. 1301, 1305, 3112, and 30307, layering approval-process reforms onto the fee-refund accountability mechanism. (novelty: 2)