An Act To Create a Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1432
Committee Amendment CA_B_S411 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §6032, 12 MRSA §6312

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/3,, to S.P. 516, L.D. 1432, Bill, "An Act To 
Create a Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6032, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 85, §3, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place: 
§6032. Marine Recreation Fishing Conservation and Management Fund 
1. 
Fund established. 
The Marine Recreation Fishing Conservation and 
Management Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established within the 
department. In addition to fees derived from the saltwater recreational fishing registry 
pursuant to section 6312, subsection 4, the commissioner may receive on behalf of the 
fund funds from any source. All money received into the fund must be used for the 
purposes of the fund under subsection 2. Unexpended balances in the fund at the end of 
the fiscal year do not lapse but must be carried forward to the next fiscal year to be used 
for the purposes of the fund. Any interest earned on the money in the fund must be 
credited to the fund. By February 1 st of each year, the commissioner shall report to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over marine resources 
matters on the amount of money collected in the fund and all expenditures made from the 
fund in the previous fiscal year. 
2. Uses of fund. The commissioner may authorize the expenditure of money from 
the fund for the implementation, administration and enforcement of the saltwater 
. recreational fishing registry under section 6312 and for research and conservation efforts 
related to the saltwater recreational fishery. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6312 is enacted to read: 
§6312. Saltwater recreational fishing registry 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
Page I - 124LRI889(IO)-I 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"J?" to S.P. 516, L.D. 1432 
A. "Disabled veteran" means a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who 
has a service-connected disability as determined by the United States Department of 
Veterans Affairs. 
B. 
"Person with a disability" means a person who is physically or mentally 
incapacitated as determined by the commissioner. 
C. "Registry" means the registry for persons engaged in saltwater recreational fishing 
established under subsection 2. 
2. S'altwater recreational fishing registry established. The commissioner shall 
administer and maintain a registry of persons who engage in saltwater recreational 
fishing. The commissioner may designate by rule the methods of fishing or the saltwater 
areas for which registration is required under this section. The registry must at a 
minimum contain the name, address, date of birth and telephone number for each person 
registered. Only an individual may register. 
3. Registration required. A person may not engage in saltwater recreational fishing 
or land or possess fish taken from salt water without registering pursuant to this section 
except the following persons are exempted from this prohibition: 
A. A person under 16 years of age; 
B. A passenger on board a vessel captained by an individual who possesses a current 
guide license issued under section 12853 for tidewater fishing or a customer on board 
a vessel licensed to carry passengers for hire for recreational fishing; 
C. A person with a disability; 
D. A disabled veteran; 
E. An individual that possesses a valid New Hampshire saltwater recreational fishing 
license that meets the requirements of 50 Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 
600.1415 and 600.1416 (2009) engaging in recreational saltwater fishing from the 
State's southern border to Cape Neddick; 
F. An individual renting a smelt fishing camp from a commercial operator; and 
G. A resident fishing on July 4th, Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend. 
4. Fees. The fees for registering annually on the registry are: 
A. Five dollars for a resident; 
B. Fifteen dollars for a nonresident; and 
C. Ten dollars for a resident lifetime registration for an applicant that is 70 years of 
age or older. 
A resident lifetime registration is valid for one year and may be 
renewed free of charge. 
Revenues collected pursuant to this subsection must be deposited in the Marine 
Recreation Fishing Conservation and Management Fund established under section 6032. 
The registry does not authorize a person registered on the registry to sell fish taken 
pursuant to the registry. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ']? " to S.P. 516, L.D. 1432 
5. Agent fee. A clerk or other agent appointed by the commissioner to register 
people on the registry shall charge a fee of $2 for each person registered by that clerk or 
agent. 
The commissioner shall charge a fee of $1 for each registration taken by a 
department employee. 
6. Native American. Upon application, the commissioner shall register a member 
of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians 
or the Aroostook Band of Micmacs on the registry without a charge or fee if the Native 
American presents a certificate from the respective reservation governor, the Aroostook 
Micmac Councilor "Wesget-Sipu" stating that the person described is a Native American 
and a member of that nation, band or tribe. The commissioner may refuse to register a 
Native American that is otherwise prohibited from registering or from holding a 
recreational fish ing license issued under Part 13. A registration under th is subsection is 
valid for one year and may be renewed without a charge or fee. 
7. Penalty. A person who violates subsection 3 commits a civil violation for which 
a fine of not less than $100 may be adjudged. 
8. Collaboration on outreach efforts. The commissioner shall work with fishing 
and hunting groups and interested parties in the commissioner's efforts to notify and 
educate the public about the registry. 
9. Report. The commissioner shall repmi registry information to the United States 
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a form 
and manner as required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
10. Rules. The commissioner may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this 
section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined 
by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3. 
Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
MARINE RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Bureau of Resource Management 0027 
Initiative: Provides funding for 2 seasonal Marine Patrol Officer positions, one full-time 
Marine Patrol Officer position, one part-time Marine Resource Scientist IV position, one 
part-time Marine Resource Scientist III position, one full-time Marine Resource 
Specialist I position, one full-time Marine Resource Scientist I position, 2 part-time 
Marine Resource Specialist I positions and 4 Conservation Aide positions and related All 
Other costs to administer, maintain and enforce the newly created saltwater recreational 
fishing registry. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
Personal Services 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2009-10 
$0 
$0 
$0 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2010-11 
$76,882 
$85,434 
$162,316 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'j)" to S.P. 516, L.D. 1432 
Sec. 4. Effective date. This Act takes effectJanuary I, 2011.' 
SUMMARY 
. This amendment replaces the bill and does the following: 
I. It creates a saltwater recreational fishing registry administered by the Depaltment 
of Marine Resources to register persons engaged in saltwater recreational fishing; 
2. It sets registration fees for residents at $5 and nonresidents at $15 and creates a $10 
resident lifetime saltwater recreational registration for a person 70 years of age or older; 
3. It provides that members of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Maine may 
register annually free of charge; 
4. It provides an exemption to the registration requirement for a person under 16 
years of age, a person with a disability, a passenger on board a vessel captained by an 
individual who possesses a current guide license for tidewater fishing, a customer on 
board a vessel licensed to carry passengers for hire for recreational fishing, a person 
renting a smelt fishing camp from a commercial operator, a disabled veteran and a 
resident fishing on July 4th, Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend; 
5. It provides that a person holding a valid New Hampshire saltwater recreational 
fishing license may fish in saltWater in the area from Maine's southern border to Cape 
Neddick; 
6. It directs that reven.ue raised from the saltwater registry be deposited into the 
Marine Recreation Fishing Conservation and Management Fund. The purpose of the 
fund is changed so that funds are used for the implementation, administration and 
enforcement of the registry and for research and conservation efforts related to the 
saltwater recreational fishery; 
7. It provides that clerks or other agents appointed by the Commissioner of Marine 
Resources to register people on the saltwater recreational fishing registry shall charge a 
fee of $2 for each person registered. It also provides that the commissioner shall charge a 
fee of$1 for each registration taken by department employees; 
8. It makes a violation of the registration requirement a civil violation for which a 
fine of not less that $100 may be adjudged; 
9. 
It directs the department to work with fishing and hunting groups and other 
interested parties to notify and educate the public about the saltwater recreational fishing 
registry; 
10. It requires the commissioner to report registry information to the United States 
Depattment of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a form 
and manner as required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 
11. It adds an appropriations and allocations section; and 
12. It sets an effective date of January 1, 2011. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Revised: 02124/10 ,::!;pac:.. 
LD 1432 
LR 1889(10) 
An Act To Create a Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment~" 
Committee: Marine Resources 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2009-10 
2010-11 
Projections 
2011-12 
Projections 
2012-13 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$162,316 
$665,609 
$875,486 
~evenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Establishes new civil violations. 
$0 
$285,000 
$1,068,750 
The collection of additional fines may also increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
$1,437,000 
The bill creates a saltwater recreational fishing registry effective January 1,2011 and dedicates the fees to the Marine 
Recreation Fishing Conservation and Management Fund. The bill includes an Other Special Revenue Funds 
allocation of $162,316 in fiscal year 2010-11 to the Department of Marine Resources for two seasonal Marine Patrol 
Officer positions and one full-time Marine Patrol Officer position and related administrative costs to administer, 
maintain and enforce the newly created saltwater recreational fishing registry. These three positions cUlTently exist, 
therefore no additional headcount is needed. 
Administrative costs include technology, central fleet management and 
registration processing costs. The new saltwater recreational fishing registry is estimated to increase Other Special 
Revenue Funds revenue by $285,000 in fiscal year 2010-11. 111is revenue estimate is based upon the average number 
of saltwater anglers over the past 9 years and assumes a 20% participation rate in the first year. 
Beginning in fiscal year 2011-12, the Department will fund one part-time Marine Resource Scientist IV position, one 
part-time Marine Resource Scientist III position, one full-time Marine Resource Specialist I position, one full-time 
Marine Resource Scientist I position, two part-time Marine Resource Specialist I positions, and four Conservation 
Aide positions, which are also existing positions requiring no additional headcount. Revenue for fiscal year 2011-12 
is estimated assuming a 75% participation rate, with that participation rate reaching 100% in fiscal year 2012-13 and 
beyond. 
LRI889(1O) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1