A. Respond to written and oral requests for information about business services and assistance programs available throughout the State;   [PL 1987, c. 534, Pt. A, §§17, 19 (NEW).]

B. Obtain and compile the most current and available information pertaining to business assistance programs and services within the State;   [PL 1987, c. 534, Pt. A, §§17, 19 (NEW).]

C. Delineate the business assistance programs and services by type of program or service and by agency; and   [PL 1987, c. 534, Pt. A, §§17, 19 (NEW).]

D. Maintain a list, to be updated annually, of marketing programs of state agencies with a description of each program.   [PL 1987, c. 534, Pt. A, §§17, 19 (NEW).]

A. Resolve problems encountered by businesses with other state agencies and with certified regional and local economic development organizations;   [PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. C, §2 (AMD).]

B. Coordinate programs and services for business among agencies and all levels of government;   [PL 1987, c. 534, Pt. A, §§17, 19 (NEW).]

C. Facilitate responsiveness of State Government to business needs; and   [PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. C, §2 (AMD).]

D. Report to the commissioner and the Legislature any breakdowns in the economic delivery system, including problems encountered by businesses dealing with state agencies.   [PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. C, §2 (AMD).]

A. By December 15, 2011, each state agency required to review, approve or grant permits for business undertakings, projects and activities shall report to the office in a form prescribed by the office on each type of review, approval and permit administered by that state agency. Application forms, applicable agency rules and the estimated time period necessary for permit application consideration based on experience and statutory or regulatory requirements must accompany each state agency report.   [PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. C, §2 (AMD).]

B. Each state agency required to review, approve or grant permits for business undertakings, projects and activities, subsequent to its report pursuant to paragraph A, shall provide to the office, for information purposes only, a report of any new permit or modification of any existing permit together with applicable forms, rules and information required under subsections 1 and 2 regarding the new or modified permit. To ensure that the department's information is current, each agency shall report immediately to the office when a new permit is adopted or any existing permit is modified. "Permit," as used in this paragraph, refers to the categorical authorization required for an activity. "Permit" does not mean a permit issued to a particular individual or business.   [PL 1991, c. 826, §2 (NEW).]

C. The office shall prepare an information file on each state agency's permit requirements upon receipt of that state agency's reports and shall develop methods for that file's maintenance, revision, updating and ready access.   [PL 1991, c. 826, §2 (NEW).]

D. The office shall provide comprehensive permit information on the basis of the information received under this subsection. The office may prepare and distribute publications, guides and other materials explaining permit requirements affecting business and including requirements involving multiple permits or multiple state agencies that are based on the state agency reports and the information file for the convenience of permit applicants.   [PL 1991, c. 826, §2 (NEW).]

A. Any applicant for permits required for a business undertaking, project or activity must be allowed to confer with the office to obtain assistance in the prompt and efficient processing and review of applications.   [PL 1991, c. 826, §2 (NEW).]

B. The office shall, as far as possible, give assistance, and the ombudsman may designate an officer or employee of the office to act as an expediter with the purpose of:  

A. Create a consolidated permit procedure that allows each business to check on a cover sheet all state permits for which it is applying and to receive all permit applications from a centralized office;   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

B. Total all permit fees due from a business, collect those fees on a semiannual basis, with 1/2 of the total fees due by January 1st and 1/2 of the total fees due by July 1st, and distribute the fees to the appropriate funds or permitting entities;   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

C. Forward a copy of the appropriate permit application to any commission, department, municipality or other agency that has responsibility for permitting that retail business;   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

D. Develop a tracking system to track permits issued by state agencies. This system must at a minimum include information on the applicant, agency involvement, time elapsed or expended on the permit and action taken;   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

E. Coordinate and supervise the permitting process to ensure that all involved state agencies process the applications and complete any necessary inspections in a timely fashion; and   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

F. Respond to inquiries from the business community and requests for information from the individual permitting entities, including reports on the status of an application.   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

A. Upon application by the municipal officers of a municipality and upon evidence that the municipality meets all qualifications as determined by departmental rulemaking, the ombudsman shall appoint the municipality as a centralized permitting agent to provide all permits for retail businesses. Upon evidence that a municipality qualified to provide permits meets the qualifications for conducting the inspection associated with any of those permits as determined by departmental rulemaking, the ombudsman shall appoint that municipality as an agent to provide that inspection for retail businesses with less than 10,000 square feet of retail space. The ombudsman shall ensure that municipalities appointed as agents for purposes of inspection are qualified and capable of conducting those inspections in a manner that ensures compliance with all applicable public health and safety requirements. Retail businesses shall pay the municipality an additional fee of $4 for each permit included in the consolidated application up to a limit of $40. Municipalities may retain 1/2 of all fees collected for permits requiring inspection. The remaining 1/2 of those permit fees and all fees for permits not requiring inspection must be remitted to the department, which shall remit the fees to the issuing agency. A municipality with a population of less than 4,000 may contract with an appointed municipality for centralized permitting and inspection services. A retail business is not required to participate in the municipal central permitting program.   [PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. C, §2 (AMD).]

B. The ombudsman shall make permitting and inspection training programs available to a municipality seeking appointment or appointed as a central permitting agent. The municipality shall pay a fee of $25 for each person receiving permitting training and $100 for each person receiving inspection training.   [PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. C, §2 (AMD).]

C. A business that seeks to determine why it has not received its permits must be directed to the municipal office where the application was filed. That office shall bring the matter to the attention of the department, which shall contact the appropriate issuing agency.   [PL 1993, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

D. A joint standing committee of the Legislature that recommends legislation that involves a new permit for retail businesses shall indicate in the legislation whether the permit is to be included in the municipal centralized permitting program.