An Act To Allow Student License Holders To Fish for or Take Lobsters during a Closed Season
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0956
Committee Amendment CA_A_H359 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §6421, 12 MRSA §6472, 12 MRSA §6477

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 711, L.D. 956, Bill, "An Act To Allow 
Student License Holders To Fish for or Take Lobsters during a Closed Season" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Allow Student License Holders in the Monhegan Lobster Conservation 
Area To Fish for or Take Lobsters during a Closed Season' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, it is important for a student license holder to gain experience during the 
summer months when it is safer to fish and when that license holder is not in school; and 
Whereas, it is necessary that this legislation take effect by June 26, 2019 in order 
for a student license holder in the Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area to be able to fish 
for or take lobster during the interim between school years; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislatlll'e, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§3-A, ,r.E, as amended by PL 2015, c. 68, §3, is 
further amended to read: 
E. A student license authorizes the license holder to engage in the licensed activities 
under subsection 2. A student license may be issued only to a person who, at the time 
of application, is 8 years of age or older and under 23 years of age. A Except as 
provided in section 6477, a person issued a student license may not submerge more 
than: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 711, L.D. 956 
( 1) Ten lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State if the person is 8 years of 
age or older and under 11 years of age; 
(2) Fifty lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State if the person is 11 years 
of age or older and under 14 years of age; or 
(3) One hundred and fifty lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State if the 
person is 14 years of age or older and under 23 years of age. 
A person issued a student license is enrolled in the apprentice program under section 
6422. When applying for a license the person must designate a sponsor and may 
designate up to 3 sponsors. For the purposes of this paragraph, "sponsor" means a 
person who holds a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license 
issued under this section. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6472, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 219, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
1. Closed season. It Except as provided in section 6477. it is unlawful for a person 
to fish for or take lobsters in the Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area from June 26th to 
} .. ugust 31st September 30th, both days inclusive, and on any day not included in the 
open season established by the commissioner under subsection 2. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6477, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 574, §4, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place: 
§6477. Student license holder 
1. Trap tags. Notwithstanding section 6474, a person issued a student license under 
section 6421 may not be issued by the commissioner more than: 
A. Ten Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area trap tags in the Monhegan Lobster 
Conservation Area if the person is 8 years of age or older and under 11 years of age; 
B. Twenty-five Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area trap tags in the Monhegan 
Lobster Conservation Area if the person is 11 years of age or older and under 14 
years of age; or 
C. Fifty Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area trap tags in the Monhegan Lobster 
Conservation Area if the person is 14 years of age or older and under 23 years of age. 
The license holder must tend the tagged traps from a vessel operated by a person 
registered under section 6474. The student license holder must be present when that 
license holder's lobster traps are tended. A student license holder shall certify on forms 
supplied by the commissioner that a person registered under section 6474 authorizes the 
student license holder to fish for or take lobsters from that person's vessel. 
2. 
Student fishing during the closed season. Notwithstanding section 6472, 
subsection 1, a person with a student license issued pursuant to section 6421 who is 
issued trap tags pursuant to this section is authorized to fish for or take lobsters in the 
Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area during the closed season if that closed season 
occurs during an interim between school years. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 711, L.D. 956 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes and replaces the title and bill. 
Like the bill, this amendment allows a person with a student lobster and crab fishing 
license to fish for or take lobster during a closed season on fishing for or taking lobsters if 
that closed season occurs during an interim between school years, except this amendment 
O 
limits the permission to a student license holder issued trap tags to fish only in the 
Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area and that student may fish only during the closed 
season in the Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area. This amendment changes the 
number of Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area trap tags that may be issued by the 
commissioner to a student license holder from 15 to 10 for a student license holder if that 
person is 8 years of age or older and under 11 years of age; 25 for a student license holder 
if that person is 11 years of age or older and under 14 years of age; and 50 for a student 
license holder if that person is 14 years of age or older and under 23 years of age. 
This amendment also adds an emergency preamble and emergency clause so that this 
legislation will take effect in time for a Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area student 
license holder to fish for lobster during the summer months. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/09/19 feae 
LD956 
LR 1312(02) 
An Act To Allow Student License Holders To Fish for or Take Lobsters during a Closed Season 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,/J, { //-) 5"V 
Committee: Marine Resources 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This bill allows the holder of a student lobster and crab fishing license who has been issued trap tags to fish in the 
Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area (MLCA) during the closed season if that closed season occurs during an 
interim between school years. The bill also specifies that the age of the licensee determines the number of trap tags 
issued to student lobster and crab fishing licensees who fish in the MLCA. Due to the limited number of student 
lobster and crab fishing licensees who fish in the MLCA, any additional costs to the Department of Marine 
Resources to implement the provisions of this bill are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within existing 
budgeted resources. 
LR1312(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1