The PHED Committee unanimously approved an amendment and a favorable recommendation Tuesday on CB 77 (2025), a bill addressing municipal notification for county use‑and‑occupancy permit applications. The committee changed the draft to place the notification requirement on applicants and to allow DPIE to add an attestation checkbox to its online permitting application.

Sponsor Councilmember Riata said she and DPIE staff agreed that requiring applicants to certify municipal notification would place the administrative burden with the permit applicant while allowing DPIE to add an online attestation field. Laurie Paris, chief of staff at DPIE, told the committee her department can add an attestation to the online permitting application that would require the applicant to confirm municipal notification; she said DPIE would soon provide timing for that update.

The Office of Law found the bill, as amended, to be in proper legislative form. Councilmember Owens said the county executive’s staff preferred an administrative fix but was satisfied with the compromise to rely on an applicant certification and online attestation. The committee voted 5–0 to adopt the sponsor’s amendment and then to forward the bill with a favorable recommendation.

Committee members said the approach reduces DPIE’s administrative burden while preserving notice for municipalities that request to be alerted to use‑and‑occupancy filings.