An Act To Abolish the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0128
Committee Amendment CA_A_S256 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10151

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 49, L.D. 128, Bill, "An Act To Abolish 
the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory 
Council' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1. 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 3 and 4 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 12 MRS A §10151, sub-§l, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
1. Appointment. The Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council, established 
by Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 20 and referred to in this Part as the "advisory 
council," consists of 10 members representing the 16 counties of the State in the 
following manner: one membt~r representing Androscoggin County, Kennebec County 
and Sagadahoc County; one member representing Aroostook County; one member 
representing Cumberland County; one member representing Franklin County and Oxford 
County; one member representing Hancock County; one member representing Knox 
County, Lincoln County and Waldo County; one member representing Penobscot 
County; one member representing Piscataquis County and Somerset County; one member 
representing Washington County; and one member representing York County. Members 
of the advisory council are appointed by the Governor, subject to review by the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over fisheries and wildlife 
matters and to confirmation by the Legislature. The commissioner or the commissioner's 
designee is a nonvoting, ex officio member of the advisory council, but may vote to break 
a tie. 
An employee of the department may not serve as a member of the advisory council prior 
to the. expiration of one year from that employee's last day of employment with the 
. department. A Legislator may not serve as a member of the advisory council. A former 
Legislator who was a member of the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 49, L.D. 128 
jurisdiction over fisheries and wildlife matters may not serve as a member of the advisory 
council prior to the expiration of one year from that former Legislator's last day of 
membership on that committee. 
Sec. 4. 
MRSA §10151, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2011, c. 668, §2, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
4. Duties. The advisory council shall: 
C. Hold regular meetings with the commissioner or the deputy commissioner to 
provide information and advice on enhancing fisheries and wildlife resource 
management in the State; 
D. Form stakeholder groups with relevant areas of expertise to obtain information 
and make recommendations on enhancing fisheries and wildlife resource 
management in the State; 
E. Convene stakeholder group meetings at least annually in areas of the State where 
deer populations need to be enhanced; 
F. 
Attend public hearings on rules proposed by the commissioner and make 
recommendations based on public and stakeholder input regarding those rules; and 
G. Provide and present a written annual summary of the advisory council's activities 
and accomplishments to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 6. 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. The bill abolishes the 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council. This amendment instead amends the 
laws governing the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council in order to realign the 
advisory council's formal duties to convening stakeholder groups and providing 
information and advice to the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to enhance 
fisheries and wildlife resource management in the State. With these revised duties, the 
advisory council no longer renders to the commissioner information and advice 
concerning the administration of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The 
amendment retains the bill's provision removing the advisory council's authority upon 
appeal to restore hunting license privileges to petitioners whose privileges have been 
revoked or suspended and the restoration of which the commissioner has disallowed. 
Further, where rulemaking is concerned, the advisory council no longer provides advice 
and consent to the commissioner, which is a change made in the bill and retained by the 
amendment, but the amendment adds that as part of its revised duties the advisory 
committee makes recommendations based on public and stakeholder input to the 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A" to S.P. 49, L.D. 128 
commissioner regarding rules. The amendment allows the commissioner's designee to be 
a member of the advisory council. Finally, this amendment requires that the advisory 
council provide and present annually a written summary of its activities and 
accomplishments to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over inland fisheries and wildlife matters. 
COMMI-rTEE AMENDMENT