Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4211, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 228, §1, is further amended to read:

1. Municipal ordinances. Municipalities may enact ordinances under their home rule authority that are more restrictive than rules governing plumbing or subsurface wastewater disposal systems adopted by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and the Department of Human Services, respectively. Either department may provide technical assistance to municipalities in the development of ordinances under this subchapter, pertaining to their respective rules. The municipality shall enforce any such ordinance. A municipality may not impose a permit requirement that is inconsistent with rules adopted by the Plumbers' Examining Board pursuant to Title 32, section 3403-B relating to installation of water meters, related valves or backflow prevention devices by a water utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission or by a contractor for such a water utility.

Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §3403-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2001, c. 215, §1, is further amended to read:

1. Plumbing and plumbing code. The board shall adopt minimum rules relating to plumbing, including a plumbing code. All rules, including installation and inspection rules, must be consistent with this chapter and Title 30-A, chapter 185, subchapter III, except that the 3.__The authority of municipalities to adopt more restrictive ordinances under Title 30-A, section 3001 is not preempted, except that a municipality may not impose a permit requirement that is inconsistent with rules adopted by the board relating to installation of water meters, related valves and backflow prevention devices by a water utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission or by a contractor for such a water utility. Notwithstanding the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, the adoption of a national or international published plumbing code as a new plumbing code for the State constitutes a major substantive rule and must receive affirmative action by the Legislature before adoption. Subsequent technical amendments to any national or international published plumbing code that may be adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A 2-A.

Sec. 3. Plumbing code revision. The Plumbers' Examining Board, as established by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 12004-A, subsection 32, shall review and revise its rules relating to plumbing in order to clarify and codify the long- standing interpretation by water utilities and municipalities that excludes from permit requirements all