Laws, Rules and Regulations

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources works with businesses; local, state and federal governments and the public to protect human health and the environment. One of the main ways this is accomplished is through implementing and enforcing regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops regulations necessary to implement federal environmental laws. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources develops regulations to implement state environmental laws.

Laws

Federal laws, also referred to as acts, are bills passed by the U.S. Congress and usually signed into law by the President. Every six years, public laws are recorded in the U.S. Code, which is a codification of all general and permanent laws of the United States. A supplement to the U.S. Code is published each year until the next comprehensive volume is published. Printed versions of the U.S. Code are available through the Government Publishing Office (GPO), U.S. Depository Libraries and most public libraries. Electronic versions of the U.S. Code (1994-present) are available free of charge online through GPO's govinfo.gov.

State laws, also referred to as statutes, are bills passed by a state's legislative body and usually approved by its governor. All Missouri laws passed by the Missouri General Assembly are recorded in the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo), which is updated at the end of each legislative session. An electronic version of the current RSMo is available free of charge online. You may also purchase printed versions of current and past volumes online through the Missouri Revisor of Statutes.

Regulations

Regulations, also referred to as rules, explain the technical, operational and legal details necessary to implement the laws. Regulations are written and developed through the rulemaking process, by federal and state agencies given the authority to do so by a statute. Although they are not laws, regulations have the force of law, since they are adopted under authority granted by statutes. All federal regulations in force are codified in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CFR (1996-present) is updated each year and is available free of charge online through GPO's govinfo.gov.

All Missouri regulations promulgated by all Missouri state agencies appear in the Missouri Code of State Regulations (CSR), which is updated monthly. Both the current CSR edition and archived CSR editions are available free of charge online. You may also request a printed copy from the Missouri Secretary of State's Office by calling 573-751-4015.

Rules in Development

For information about federal regulations in development, the federal rulemaking process or how you can effectively participate, visit regulations.gov. For information specific to federal environmental regulations, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Get Involved with EPA Regulations.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources regularly proposes new rules and amendments to rules (i.e., "regulations”) based on direction from its Commissions and mandates from the legislature. In most cases, department rulemakings involve changing existing rules, rather than proposing entirely new rules or rescinding rules. Many of these changes address relatively minor issues, such as a removing outdated information or updating referenced documents. The department's Regulatory Action Tracking System contains summaries and other information related to the department's proposed rules in development.

In all rulemakings, regardless of significance, the department provides information on the need for the rule, the benefits and costs of the rulemaking and the alternatives considered. A Regulatory Impact Report (RIR) is required at the beginning of the rulemaking process for rules recommending environmental standards or conditions. It documents the environmental and economic costs and benefits associated with the proposed rule. The department invites the public to review and submit comments on RIR's to help ensure that our regulations provide required protections but do not add unneeded costs. The department submits proposed rules to the Secretary of State, which are then published in the Missouri Register along with a notice of public hearing, if applicable, and notice to submit comments. The rules will not go into effect until the public has had an opportunity to review and submit written comments on the proposed rule and to attend a public hearing, if one is scheduled. For more information about the rulemaking process, contact the department at 573-751-3443. For more information on specific rules, direct contact names and phone numbers are provided in the Rulemaking Report for each individual proposed rule listed in the department's Regulatory Action Tracking System.

Periodic 5-Year Review

The General Assembly instituted an ongoing five-year rolling review of all existing state regulations, as described in section 536.175, RSMo. The department is responsible for reviewing regulations promulgated within CSR, Title 10. The 2021 review cycle began July 1, 2021, with a notice in the Missouri Register (Vol. 46, No. 13). The department prepared a report containing the results of the department's review, comments the department received from the public and the department's responses to the comments. This report was submitted to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules on June 30, 2022. 

• 2021 Periodic Rule Review Report

Public Notices/ Public Comments

The department is making every effort to include links to information about its proposed rules available below. To filter out proposed rules, choose "Rules in Development" in the "Type" field in the search box. All RIR's and proposed rules open for public review and comment are also available on the department's Public Notices/ Public Comments webpage.