Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is pushing for state agencies to modernize the state’s occupational permitting and licensing processes.
The governor’s office issued preliminary recommendations from the state’s Government Efficiency Commission, and those include increasing efficiency in the vendor credentialing process, improving reliability and predictability in the permitting process, and removing barriers to employment for Marylanders.
“Modernizing State government is not just a talking point for us – it’s a governing philosophy,” said Gov. Moore. “As we continue to create new, good-paying jobs for Marylanders and growing our economy, we need to continue to cut unnecessary red tape. These recommendations will help open pathways to prosperity for hardworking families across our state.”
As part of the Transparent Government Act of 2024, the Government Efficiency Commission was established and given a directive to review all permits, licenses, and certifications issued by the executive branch to identify opportunities for modernization.
The commission issued a report last month that offered recommendations to the governor’s office and the General Assembly to modernize the credentialing process, including:
- Establish a Maryland Coordinated Permitting Review Council modeled after the federal Permitting Council to foster efficient interagency coordination of reviews for priority projects.
- Establish a unified permitting portal.
- Ensure that all credentialing units have access to digital infrastructure necessary for expedient and efficient collection and processing of application and timeline tracking.
- Focus initial reform efforts on 10 priority credentials and approval processes with high impact to Maryland’s workforce and businesses.
- Reform criminal history background impacts on credential eligibility to remove barriers to lawful employment.
- Establish a reporting system to ensure compliance with reporting requirements of the Transparent Government Act of 2024.
- Review credentials that receive fewer than 50 applications annually to determine whether state approval is necessary.
