An Act To Promote and Encourage the Sustainability of the Elver Fishery
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0286
Committee Amendment CA_A_H426 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §6505-A, 12 MRSA §6575-J

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 219, L.D. 286, Bill, "An Act To 
Promote and Encourage the Sustainability of the Elver Fishery" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 1 the following: 
1Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6505-A, sub-§1-C, as amended by PL 2013, c. 485, §6, is 
further amended to read: 
1-C. Elver transaction card issued. The department may issue an elver transaction 
card to each license holder under this section and to each license holder under section 
6302-A, subsection 3, paragraphs E, E-1, F and G in accordance with section 6302-B. 
The department may charge each license holder an annual fee for the elver transaction 
card that may not exceed $35. Fees collected under this subsection must be deposited in 
the Eel and Elver Management Fund under section 6505-D. The license holder shall use 
the elver transaction card to meet electronic reporting requirements established by rule 
pursuant to section 6173. The elver transaction card must include the license holder's 
name and license number.' 
Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 1-F in the first line (page 1, line 16 in L.D.) 
by striking out the following: "shall issue" and inserting the following: 'may issue up to' 
Amend the bill in section 5 in subsection 2-C in the first paragraph in the 5th line 
(page 1, line 29 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "one" and inserting the following: 
'2' 
Amend the bill in section 5 in subsection 2-C in the first paragraph in the 6th line 
(page 1, line 30 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "application" and inserting the 
following: 
1applications
Amend the bill in section 5 in subsection 2-C in the first paragraph by striking out all 
of the last sentence (page 1, lines 30 and 31 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 1In any 
year in which a lottery is held, the lotte1y must be held on or before February l Sth. 1 
' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEEAMENDMENT"A"to H.P. 219, L.D. 286 
Amend the bill in section 5 in subsection 2-C in the 2nd paragraph in the first line 
(page 1, line 32 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "shall" and inserting the following: 
'may' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 6 and 7 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §6505-A, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2013, c. 468, §25, is 
further amended to read: 
4. Fees. Fees for elver fishing licenses are: 
A. For a person who is a resident, $-1-0§. $205; 
B. For a person who is a nonresident, $442- $542; 
C. For a person who is a resident with crew,~ $405; and 
D. For a person who is a nonresident with crew,~ $1,426. 
Fifty One hundred and fifty dollars of each license fee collected under paragraphs A and 
B and $±00 $300 of each license fee collected under paragraphs C and D accrue to the 
Eel and Elver Management Fund established in section 6505-D. 
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §6575-J, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 301, §13, is amended to 
read: 
§6575-J. Seizure of illegally harvested elvers 
In addition to any other penalty imposed, elvers that are purchased or possessed that 
were taken in violation of any law or rule pertaining to elvers are subject to seizure by 
any officer authorized to enforce this Part. The entire bulk pile containing illegally 
harvested elvers may be seized. For the purposes of this section, "bulk pile" means all 
elvers in the possession of a holder of an elver fishing license, an elver dealer's license or 
an elver exporter's license who fished for, took, possesses or bought elvers in violation of 
any law or rule regulating elvers under this Patt. 
Sec. 8. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
MARINE RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Bureau of Marine Science 0027 
Initiative: Provides allocations to the Eel and Elver Management Fund to reflect increased 
revenue from proceeds of the reinstated lottery for elver licenses, an increased license 
surcharge and an increased swipe card fee. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOT AL 
Bureau of Policy and Management 0258 
2017-18 
$152,500 
$152,500 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2018-19 
$152,500 
$152,500 
COMMI1TEE AMENDMENT ·ft" to H.P. 219, L.D. 286 
Initiative: Provides allocations for administrative costs funded by an increase in revenue 
from proceeds of the reinstated lottery for elver fishing licenses. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
MARINE RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2017-18 
$40,000 
$40,000 
2017-18 
$192,500 
$192,500 
2018-19 
$40,000 
$40,000 
2018-19 
$192,500 
$192,500 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment allows the Department of Marine Resources to charge the holder of 
an elver fishing license an annual fee not to exceed $35 for an elver transaction card. The 
amendment allows an applicant to the elver fishing license lotte1y to submit up to 5 
applications per lottery year. The amendment removes the requirement in the bill that the 
Commissioner of Marine Resources hold an elver fishing license lottery each year. The 
amendment removes the provision of the bill that allocates at least 4 pounds of elver 
fishing quota to each license holder. The amendment increases the fees for all elver 
fishing licenses. The amendment removes the provision in the bill that requires rules 
regarding elver fishing quotas to provide a method for redistributing quota that will not be 
fished; that authority exists in current law. The amendment defines 
11bulk pile" for the 
purposes of the law on the seizure of illegally harvested elvers as all elvers in the 
possession of a harvester or dealer who fished for, took, bought or possesses elvers in 
violation of any law or rule regulating elvers. The amendment removes the requirement 
in the bill that the commissioner issue 425 elver fishing licenses each year and instead 
allows the commissioner to issue up to 425 licenses. 
The amendment adds an 
appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/02/17 Mae!-
LD286 
LR1064(02) 
An Act To Promote and Encourage the Sustainability of the Elver Fishery 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'Jf (H · LJ. J ~ \ 
Committee: Marine Resources 
J 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2017-18 
FY 2018-19 
$192,500 
$192,500 
$192,500 
$192,500 
Projections 
FY 2019-20 
$192,500 
$192,500 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$192,500 
$192,500 
The bill would allow the Depatiment of Marine Resources (DMR) the option of reinstating a lottery system for elver 
fishing licenses. The bill also increases the surcharge on elver licenses issued and the fee charged for electronic swipe 
cards. These changes are expected to increase Other Special Revenue Funds revenue by $192,500 annually beginning 
in fiscal year 2017-18. This estimate was made using the following assumptions: The DMR will start holding a 
lottery in fiscal year 2017-18. This lottery will have approximately 4,000 entries at $35 each, generating $140,000 in 
revenue, of which $100,000 will be credited to the Eel and Elver Management Fund (EEMF) and $40,000 will be 
retained by the DMR for administrative costs. The DMR will issue 1000 swipe cards at $35 each, an increase of$10 
over the current $25, generating an additional $10,000 in EEMF revenue. The DMR will issue 425 resident elver 
licenses at $100 each, generating $42,500 in EEMF revenue. 
LR1064(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1