The committee deferred HB 284, a bill that would create a 60-day shot clock for county building permits, and HB 761, dealing with county permitting and inspection roles.

Supporters framed HB 284 as a tool to speed housing production by requiring counties to act on building permits within a set time. Grassroot Institute witness Ted Kefalas testified in favor. State agencies raised concerns about technical feasibility and unintended consequences: the Department of Land and Natural Resources said the proposed language could jeopardize participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, and the Department of Accounting and General Services said implementation would require duplicating county permitting staff.

Committee members said parts of HB 284 may be useful, but that the bill as drafted failed to allow for legitimate reasons to delay or reject permits, to verify infrastructure availability, and to preserve time for archaeological or cultural review where appropriate. The chair said the bill would be deferred to allow more work with counties and agencies.

HB 761 was deferred for similar reasons, with testimony noting that it could duplicate county services and require additional state staffing.

Both measures were deferred to give staff and stakeholders time to refine language and address agency implementation concerns.