An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1720
Committee Amendment CA_A_H616 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §6450

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" 11 .. to H.P. 1200, L.D. 1720, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Law Regarding Temporary Medical Allowances for Lobster and Crab Fishing 
License Holders" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Increase Flexibility in the Temporary Medical Allowance for Lobster 
and Crab Fishing License Holders' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
1Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6450, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 239, §9, is amended 
to read: 
1. Temporary medical allowance. Notwithstanding section 6421, upon request the 
commissioner may issue a temporary medical allowance that permits an individual to fish 
under the authority of the license of a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing 
license holder but not under the license holder1s direct supervision if the following criteria 
are met: 
A. The individual who will be fishing has successfully completed an apprentice 
program under section 6422; 
B. The individual who will be fishing is the child or spouse of the individual who 
holds the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license; 
C. The holder of the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license is 
unable to use that license due to a substantial illness or medical condition. The 
holder of the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license shall 
provide the commissioner with documentation from a physician describing the illness 
or other medical condition; and 
D. The holder of the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license 
documents to the commissioner that the license holder harvested a minimum of 1,000 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
CO"MMITTEEAMBNDMENT"A "toH.P.1200,L.D.1720 
pounds of lobsters within one year prior to the request for the temporary medical 
allowance. 
A temporary med.ioal allowance may not 6*:ceed one year. A request for a temporary 
medical allowance must be in writing and must specify the dates for which the temporary 
medical allowance is requested. The holder of the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster 
and crab fishing license on which the temporary medical allowance is based must 
maintain a valid license during the duration of the temporary medical allowance. The 
holder of the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license is liable for the 
activities of the individual fishing under the temporary medical allowance. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6450, sub-§§2 and 3 are enacted to read: 
2. Term. A temporary medical allowance may not exceed one year or, upon renewal 
under subsection 3, a total of 2 consecutive years. 
3. Renewal. The commissioner may renew a temporary medical allowance issued 
under subsection 1 for a maximum of one year upon a request in writing from the holder 
of the Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license upon which the 
temporary medical allowance is based. A request under this subsection must be received 
by the commissioner before the expiration of a current temporary medical allowance 
issued to that license holder.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment removes the provision of the bill 
that extends the maximum duration of a temporary medical allowance for lobster and 
crab fishing license holders from one year to 2 years and instead provides that the 
Commissioner of Marine Resources may renew an existing temporary medical allowance 
for up to one year upon application of the holder of the license upon which the allowance 
is based. 
As with current law, the amendment provides that a temporary medical 
allowance may not exceed one year, but the amendment provides that, upon renewal, the 
temporary medical allowance may not exceed a total of 2 consecutive years. 
The amendment removes the provisions of the bill that create a temporary terminal 
illness medical allowance for lobster and crab fishing license holders diagnosed with a 
terminal illness. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT