POSTED: Thursday, December 6, 2012 --- 11:55 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The leader of a state Senate committee researching how to streamline state iron mining regulations has released provisions he wants in a bill, including a two-year deadline for permit approval and a chance for the public to challenge the decision.

The current approval process is open-ended. A GOP bill that would have established a one-year deadline for a decision and eliminated contested case hearings, proceedings where the public can challenge the ruling, died last spring. Republicans plan to revisit the issue next year, however.

Democratic Sen. Tim Cullen has formed his own committee to research mining regulations. On Tuesday he released provisions he wants to see in the next bill that call for a two-year approval deadline, a contested case hearing and collaborating with federal regulators and American Indian tribes.

Copyright 2012: Associated Press