Minnesota Agencies

The Minnesota Administrative Rules Status System (MARSS) is a concept for a new software application. The application would be built and maintained by the Revisor's Office. Executive branch agencies and others would upload official rulemaking record documents to the system. The goal is to improve public access, security, preservation, and transparency of state agencies' official rulemaking records through the creation of a single online records system. The system would serve as a single Internet location for the public to track rulemaking progress and access the official rulemaking record. Agencies would fulfill their requirement to maintain and preserve the official rulemaking record by submitting required documents to the revisor for inclusion in the online records system.

The working group must report by February 1, 2018, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the committees in the house of representatives and senate with jurisdiction over policy and finance for the legislature. The report must identify the functional and nonfunctional requirements of the MARSS system. The working group must define a funding mechanism to share the cost to build and maintain the MARSS system among state agencies and departments.

The Revisor of Statutes or the Revisor's designee must convene the initial meeting of the working group by August 1, 2017. Upon request of the working group, the Revisor must provide meeting space and administrative services for the group.
(b) The working group must elect a chair from among its members at the first meeting.
(c) Members serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses.
(d) The working group expires on February 1, 2018, or upon submission of documents fulfilling its duties, whichever is earlier.

The MARSS working group consists of the following nine members:
1. the chief judge of the Office of Administrative Hearings, or a designee;
2. the secretary of state, or a designee;
3. a representative from the Interagency Rules Committee (IRC) appointed by the committee;
4. a representative from each of the following agencies with rulemaking experience appointed by the appropriate commissioner: (i) the Department of Health; (ii) the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; (iii) the Department of Transportation; and (iv) the Department of Labor and Industry;
5. as designated by the IRC, a representative from a health-related board; and
6. as designated by the IRC, a representative from a non-health-related board.

As of July 27, 2017, the following members are serving on the working group:
Bert Black, Office of Minnesota Secretary of State; Denise Collins, Court Administrator at OAH; Kerstin Forsythe Hahn, Rulemaking Coordinator & Records Manager at MDE (elected chair); Rebecca Gaspard, Policy and Rules Analyst at the Board of Cosmetology Examiners; Jodi Pope, Rules Coordinator at the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board; Wendy Legge, Chief Legal Counsel at DOLI; Mary Lynn, Rules Coordinator at MPCA; Patricia Winget, MDH Rules Coordinator and Legal Counsel; Beth Scheffer, Associate Legal Counsel, Construction, Building Services, & Rulemaking at MnDOT