diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/scripts/refresh_permissions.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/scripts/refresh_permissions.py
index 4981af93d..4a49d7b57 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/scripts/refresh_permissions.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/scripts/refresh_permissions.py
@@ -34,6 +34,5 @@ class RefreshPermissions(Script):
         *args: Any,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> Any:
-        """Run."""
         group_info = args[0]
         AuthorizationService.refresh_permissions(group_info)
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/authorization_service.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/authorization_service.py
index 761f14a2f..ccf51cd8f 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/authorization_service.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/authorization_service.py
@@ -94,13 +94,22 @@ class UserToGroupDict(TypedDict):
 
 
 class DesiredPermissionDict(TypedDict):
-    """DesiredPermissionDict."""
-
     group_identifiers: Set[str]
     permission_assignments: list[PermissionAssignmentModel]
     user_to_group_identifiers: list[UserToGroupDict]
 
 
+class DesiredGroupPermissionDict(TypedDict):
+    actions: list[str]
+    uri: str
+
+
+class GroupPermissionsDict(TypedDict):
+    users: list[str]
+    name: str
+    permissions: list[DesiredGroupPermissionDict]
+
+
 class AuthorizationService:
     """Determine whether a user has permission to perform their request."""
 
@@ -699,17 +708,57 @@ class AuthorizationService:
         return permission_assignments
 
     @classmethod
-    def refresh_permissions(cls, group_info: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> None:
+    def parse_permissions_yaml_into_group_info(cls) -> list[GroupPermissionsDict]:
+        if current_app.config["SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_PERMISSIONS_FILE_NAME"] is None:
+            raise (
+                PermissionsFileNotSetError(
+                    "SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_PERMISSIONS_FILE_NAME needs to be set in order to import permissions"
+                )
+            )
+
+        permission_configs = None
+        with open(current_app.config["SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_PERMISSIONS_FILE_ABSOLUTE_PATH"]) as file:
+            permission_configs = yaml.safe_load(file)
+
+        group_permissions: list[GroupPermissionsDict] = []
+        group_permissions_by_group: dict[str, GroupPermissionsDict] = {}
+        if "default_group" in permission_configs:
+            default_group_identifier = permission_configs["default_group"]
+            # group_permissions.append({"name": default_group_identifier, "users": [], "permissions": []})
+            group_permissions_by_group[default_group_identifier] = {"name": default_group_identifier, "users": [], "permissions": []}
+
+        if "groups" in permission_configs:
+            for group_identifier, group_config in permission_configs["groups"].items():
+                group_info: GroupPermissionsDict = {"name": group_identifier, "users": [], "permissions": []}
+                for username in group_config["users"]:
+                    group_info['users'].append(username)
+                group_permissions_by_group[group_identifier] = group_info
+
+        if "permissions" in permission_configs:
+            for _permission_identifier, permission_config in permission_configs["permissions"].items():
+                uri = permission_config["uri"]
+                for group_identifier in permission_config["groups"]:
+                    group_permissions_by_group[group_identifier]['permissions'].append({'actions': permission_config["allowed_permissions"], "uri": uri})
+
+        for _group_identifier, group_permission in group_permissions_by_group.items():
+            group_permissions.append(group_permission)
+
+        return group_permissions
+
+    @classmethod
+    def refresh_permissions(cls, group_info: list[GroupPermissionsDict]) -> None:
         """Adds new permission assignments and deletes old ones."""
         initial_permission_assignments = PermissionAssignmentModel.query.all()
         initial_user_to_group_assignments = UserGroupAssignmentModel.query.all()
-        result = cls.import_permissions_from_yaml_file()
-        desired_permission_assignments = result["permission_assignments"]
-        desired_group_identifiers = result["group_identifiers"]
-        desired_user_to_group_identifiers = result["user_to_group_identifiers"]
+        group_info = group_info + cls.parse_permissions_yaml_into_group_info()
+
+        desired_group_identifiers: Set[str] = set()
+        desired_permission_assignments: list[PermissionAssignmentModel] = []
+        desired_user_to_group_identifiers: list[UserToGroupDict] = []
 
         for group in group_info:
             group_identifier = group["name"]
+            GroupService.find_or_create_group(group_identifier)
             for username in group["users"]:
                 user_to_group_dict: UserToGroupDict = {
                     "username": username,
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/unit/test_authorization_service.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/unit/test_authorization_service.py
index b742c4639..5712cb62c 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/unit/test_authorization_service.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/unit/test_authorization_service.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from tests.spiffworkflow_backend.helpers.base_test import BaseTest
 from spiffworkflow_backend.models.group import GroupModel
 from spiffworkflow_backend.models.user import UserModel
 from spiffworkflow_backend.models.user import UserNotFoundError
-from spiffworkflow_backend.services.authorization_service import AuthorizationService
+from spiffworkflow_backend.services.authorization_service import AuthorizationService, GroupPermissionsDict
 from spiffworkflow_backend.services.authorization_service import InvalidPermissionError
 from spiffworkflow_backend.services.group_service import GroupService
 from spiffworkflow_backend.services.process_instance_processor import (
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ class TestAuthorizationService(BaseTest):
         GroupService.find_or_create_group("group_three")
         assert GroupModel.query.filter_by(identifier="group_three").first() is not None
 
-        group_info = [
+        group_info: list[GroupPermissionsDict] = [
             {
                 "users": ["user_one", "user_two"],
                 "name": "group_one",