(1) Whenever any person desiring to carry out development as defined in section 24-65.1-102 (1) is required to obtain a permit, to be issued by any state agency or commission for the purpose of authorizing or allowing such development, pursuant to this or any other statute or regulation promulgated thereunder, such agency or commission shall establish a reasonable time period, which shall not exceed sixty days following receipt of such permit application, within which such agency or commission must respond in writing to the applicant, granting or denying said permit or specifying all reasonable additional information necessary for the agency or commission to respond. If additional information is required, said agency or commission shall set a reasonable time period for response following the receipt of such information.

(2) Whenever a state agency or commission denies a permit, the denial must specify:

(a) The regulations, guidelines, and criteria or standards used in evaluating the application;

(b) The reasons for denial and the regulations, guidelines, and criteria or standards the application fails to satisfy; and

(c) The action that the applicant would have to take to satisfy the state agency's or commission's permit requirements.

(3) Whenever an application for a permit, as provided under this section, contains a statement describing the proposed nature, uses, and activities in conceptual terms for the development intended to be accomplished and is not accompanied with all additional information, including, without limitation, engineering studies, detailed plans and specifications, and zoning approval, or, whenever a hearing is required by the statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, or resolutions thereof prior to the issuance of the requested permit, the agency or commission shall, within the time provided in this section for response, indicate its acceptance or denial of the permit on the basis of the concept expressed in the statement of the proposed uses and activities contained in the application. Such conceptual approval shall be made subject to the applicant filing and completing all prerequisite detailed additional information in accordance with the usual filing requirements of the agency or commission within a reasonable period of time.

(4) All agencies and commissions authorized or required to issue permits for development shall adopt rules and regulations, or amend existing rules and regulations, so as to require that such agencies and commissions respond in the time and manner required in this section.

(5) Nothing in this section shall shorten the time allowed for responses provided by federal statute dealing with, or having a bearing on, the subject of any such application for permit.

(6) The provisions of this section shall not apply to applications approved, denied, or processed by a unit of local government.