HB 1884 — An Act amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), known as The Clean Streams Law, in general provisions and public policy, providing for general permit modernization.

PRINTER'S NO.       2345

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1884
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY KRUPA, STENDER, PICKETT, OLSOMMER, BANTA, CUTLER,
        FINK, O'NEAL, SHAFFER, JAMES, ROWE, COOK, ZIMMERMAN, WALSH,
        T. JONES AND HAMM, SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
        PROTECTION, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), entitled
 2      "An act to preserve and improve the purity of the waters of
 3      the Commonwealth for the protection of public health, animal
 4      and aquatic life, and for industrial consumption, and
 5      recreation; empowering and directing the creation of
 6      indebtedness or the issuing of non-debt revenue bonds by
 7      political subdivisions to provide works to abate pollution;
 8      providing protection of water supply and water quality;
 9      providing for the jurisdiction of courts in the enforcement
10      thereof; providing additional remedies for abating pollution
11      of waters; imposing certain penalties; repealing certain
12      acts; regulating discharges of sewage and industrial wastes;
13      regulating the operation of mines and regulating the impact
14      of mining upon water quality, supply and quantity; placing
15      responsibilities upon landowners and land occupiers and to
16      maintain primary jurisdiction over surface coal mining in
17      Pennsylvania," in general provisions and public policy,
18      providing for general permit modernization.
19      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
20   hereby enacts as follows:
21      Section 1.    The act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394),
22   known as The Clean Streams Law, is amended by adding a section
23   to read:
24      Section 9.    General Permit Modernization.--(a)    Within one
25   year of the effective date of this subsection, the department
 1   shall establish a centralized online application system for
 2   general permits under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105 Subch. L (relating to
 3   general permits). The system shall include, at a minimum, all of
 4   the following:
 5      (1)     A unified interface for the electronic submission of all
 6   of the following for an application for a general permit under
 7   25 Pa. Code Ch. 105 Subch. L:
 8      (i)     Project descriptions.
 9      (ii)     Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory clearances.
10      (iii)     Geotagged photographs.
11      (iv)     Site-specific data.
12      (2)     Functionality for geographic information system mapping,
13   permit tracking and mobile accessibility.
14      (b)     The department shall retain a paper-based application
15   process for applications for general permits under 25 Pa. Code
16   Ch. 105 Subch. L and may not eliminate the availability of such
17   process.
18      (c)     Within one year of the effective date of this
19   subsection, the department shall develop and make publicly
20   available standardized drawings, processes, procedures and
21   instructions for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105
22   Subch. L. The standardized drawings, processes, procedures and
23   instructions shall include, as applicable, the following:
24      (1)     Construction specifications.
25      (2)     Descriptions of permissible activities.
26      (3)     Limits of disturbance.
27      (4)     Conditions of enforcement.
28      (5)     Standard erosion and sediment control plans.
29      (d)     An applicant for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch.
30   105 Subch. L whose proposed project does not conform to the

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 1   standardized drawings and instructions under subsection (c) may
 2   submit a custom application for independent review by the
 3   department.
 4      (e)    Within one year of the effective date of this
 5   subsection, the department shall develop and integrate into the
 6   application process for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch.
 7   105 Subch. L, a permit-specific checklist for each general
 8   permit.
 9      (f)    Within one year of the effective date of this
10   subsection, the department shall establish an automated system
11   for the issuance of notices to proceed. The system shall notify
12   the applicant for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105
13   Subch. L, relevant regulatory agencies and county conservation
14   districts upon all of the following:
15      (1)    Submission of a complete application for a general
16   permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105 Subch. L.
17      (2)    Receipt of all necessary Pennsylvania Natural Diversity
18   Inventory clearances for the general permit. The Pennsylvania
19   Natural Diversity Inventory shall be available and built into
20   the system.
21      (3)    Payment of applicable fees for the general permit.
22      (4)    Notice of intent approval, sent to all necessary
23   agencies, departments and government entities, which shall:
24      (i)    Be automatic and electronic.
25      (ii)    Provide a receipt and full electronic copy of the
26   entire application, payment and all other required supporting
27   documents.
28      (g)    After an applicant for a general permit under 25 Pa.
29   Code Ch. 105 Subch. L receives a notice to proceed, the
30   applicant may begin the activities to be authorized under the

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 1   general permit.
 2      (h)   Within one year of the effective date of this
 3   subsection, the department shall establish and implement uniform
 4   standards for the enforcement and inspection of activities
 5   conducted under general permits issued in accordance with 25 Pa.
 6   Code Ch. 105 Subch. L. The standards shall include all of the
 7   following:
 8      (1)   Consistent enforcement procedures across all regional
 9   offices of the department.
10      (2)   A centralized digital dashboard for use by department
11   inspectors to access general permit data, inspection schedules
12   and compliance records.
13      (3)   Training for all department personnel responsible for
14   inspections on the administration of uniform enforcement
15   procedures.
16      (i)   Beginning two years after the effective date of this
17   subsection and annually thereafter, the department shall submit
18   a report to the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of
19   the Senate and the Environmental and Natural Resource Protection
20   Committee of the House of Representatives. The report shall
21   include all of the following:
22      (1)   A summary of progress in implementing the requirements
23   of this section.
24      (2)   Usage statistics for the centralized online application
25   system established under subsection (a).
26      (3)   The number of general permits issued under 25 Pa. Code
27   Ch. 105 Subch. L, disaggregated by permit type.
28      (4)   Trends in compliance and enforcement.
29      (5)   Any recommendations for further regulatory or statutory
30   improvements.

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1     Section 2.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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