Last week, the PA Chamber joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than 600 state and local chambers, trade associations, and employers in urging the U.S. Senate to pass bipartisan, comprehensive permitting reform.

In a letter to Senate leaders, the coalition called for legislative action “as early this year as possible,” arguing that communities across the country need a “modernized, efficient, predictable, and transparent permitting process” that provides projects with the certainty needed to secure investment and move forward.

“Across the country, communities and businesses are ready to invest in projects that will strengthen our economy and improve quality of life — from expanding broadband access and upgrading transportation networks, to building innovative energy facilities that will provide new sources of power to meet growing demand, and modernizing drinking water systems,” the letter reads. “But too often, outdated and inefficient permitting processes stand in the way, delaying these investments and driving up costs.”

The letter follows action by the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed several permitting reform bills at the end of 2025. Those measures aim to streamline environmental reviews, improve coordination among agencies, and set clearer timelines for decisions. The coalition said the House’s work shows bipartisan recognition that “our current permitting process is broken” and urged the Senate to build on this momentum.

For the PA Chamber, this federal push builds on years of work in Harrisburg. In each of the past two state budget cycles, the Chamber has worked with Governor Shapiro and the state legislature to help enact significant bipartisan permitting reforms, creating greater certainty for employers.

In 2024, one such reform was the SPEED program, which created a third-party review process for certain environmental permits. Additional permitting reforms, including “deemed approved” status for certain general environmental permits, provisions to improve communications between agencies and applicants, clearer timelines, annual performance reporting, and a public permit-tracking system were all also included in the FY 2025-2026 budget.

The PA Chamber has also worked closely with the U.S. Chamber to align advocacy efforts. In January, PA Chamber Director of Government Affairs Amy Brinton participated in a Day of Action on Capitol Hill to meet directly with senators about how federal permitting delays affect projects in Pennsylvania and across the country.

The goal at both the state and federal levels is to reduce uncertainty so businesses can plan, invest, and hire with confidence.