Beginning in August, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will begin the informal and formal rulemaking process for adoption of the Federal Renovation, Repair, and Painting/Pre-Renovation Education regulations (RRP/PRE). Currently the Federal EPA oversees the RRP/PRE rules – the rulemaking process will consider whether MDH should take over the administration and enforcement of the rule, and if so, how it should be done.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Governor Dayton signed the 2015 Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill on May 22, 2015 which gave MDH authorization to go into rulemaking.
- BATC is in contact with the MDH Staff overseeing this process and will be responding to draft language and timelines when they are established. BATC will coordinate with BAM and other industry stakeholders.
- MDH staff has indicated that a key element for discussion in the process will be the concept of a state-level, complaint-based regulatory structure. Under this concept, the MDH would create a system to respond to RRP/PRE complaints, but would not extend beyond this scope. This differs from a permit-based regulatory structure where every project passes through a system (ie: stormwater permitting).
- When BATC receives a more formal proposal we will coordinate with BATC’s Remodeler’s Council to get feedback and direction.
- MDH expects to have a formal timeline and initial rule language proposed later this Fall.
