An Act to Ahgn Laws Govemmg Crossbow Huntmg with TCse Govemmg Archery Huntmg
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1879
Committee Amendment CA_A_H409 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10108, 12 MRSA §11106, 12 MRSA §11212-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT '"a "to HP 1204, L D 1879, "An Act to Ahgn Laws 
Govemmg Crossbow Huntmg with TCse Govemmg Archery Huntmg" 
Amend the btll by msertmg after sect10n 5 the followmg 
'Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §10108, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2003, c 414, Pt A, §2 and 
affected by c 614, §9, is amended to read 
6. Archery huntmg education program. 
The commissioner shall establish a 
program for trammg mdividuals m safe and responsible archery huntmg skills and 
behavior This program mcludes mstructlon m on all types of archery eqmpment, fisheries 
and wtldhfe laws, rights of landowners and hunters and appropriate prmciples of wtldhfe 
management The commissioner may charge an enrollment fee of up to $10 per person to 
help defray the costs of this program The commissioner may cooperate with any public 
or private association dedicated to responsible and safe archery huntmg to establish this 
program 
In estabhshmg the program, the commissioner shall 
A Prescribe the quabficatlons of mstructors, 
B Provide habihty msurance for each mstructor authorized by the commiss10ner to 
conduct trammg under the program protectmg that person from hab1hty for damages 
during the time when mstruct1on 1s bemg given The cost of this msurance must be 
borne by the State and charged agamst funds credited to the department, 
C Prescribe the type and length of mstruction and the time and place of exammations, 
and 
D 
Issue a certificate of competency to mdividuals who successfully complete the 
exammat10n 
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §10108, sub-§6-A, as enacted by PL 2005, c 419, §1 and 
3 
affected by § 12, is repealed ' 
Amend the btll by strikmg out all of section 12 and msertmg the followmg 
Pagel -131LR0100(02) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A" to HP 1204, L D 1879 
'Sec.12. 12 MRSA §11106, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c 281, Pt D, §1 and 
c 301, §10, 1s further amended to read 
1. Age reqmrement. A person 1s eligible to obtam an archery huntmg license as 
provided m this section 
A A resident or nonresident 16 years of age or older who has satisfied the requrrements 
of subsection 2 or holds an apprent1cesh1p hunter license, or who 1s exempt under 
subsection 3, may obtam an archery huntmg license to hunt with bo1N aad a-rFew archery 
equipment m accordance with sect10n 10952 from the comm1ss10ner or the 
comm1ss1oner's authorized agent 
B A resident or nonresident under 16 years of age may hunt with hew aad a-rFew 
archery equipment 1f that person holds a valid Jumor huntmg license 
Begmnmg January 1, 2016, for those persons who obtam aJumor huntmg license and turn 
years of age durmg the same calendar year, the archery huntmg license 1s mcluded even 
after the person has turned 16 years of age as long as that person 1s huntmg on that person's 
valid Jumor huntmg license and not longer than the remamder of the calendar year for 
which the license 1s issued 
Sec. 13. 12 MRSA §11106, sub-§2, as repealed and replaced by PL 2013, c 588, 
Pt A, § 12, 1s amended to read 
2. Archery hunter education requirements. Except as provided m paragraph A and 
subsection 3, a person who applies for an archery huntmg license other than aJumor huntmg 
license or an apprent1cesh1p hunter license must submit proof of havmg successfully 
completed an archery hunter education course as described m section 10108 or an 
eqmvalent archery hunter education course or satisfactory evidence of havmg prev10usly 
held a vahd adult archery huntmg license issued specifically for the purpose of huntmg 
with bow and arrow m this State or any other state, provmce or country m any year after 
1979 or satisfactory evidence ofprev10usly holdmg a crossbow permit issued m this State 
as of December 31, 2023 
When proof or evidence cannot be otherwise provided, the apphcant may substitute a 
signed affidavit that the apphcant has previously held the required adult archery huntmg 
license or has successfully completed the reqmred archery hunter education course 
A A person who 1s an enrolled member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot 
Nation, the Houlton Band of Mahseet Indians or the 2'\Foostook :Band of M1omaos 
M1'kmaq N at10n who presents cert1ficat1on from the respective reservat10n governor or 
the 1-\Foostook M1omao M1
1kmaq Nation Tribal Council statmg that the person 1s an 
enrolled member of a federally recogmzed nation, band or tribe hsted m this paragraph 
1s exempt from the requirements of this subsection ' 
Amend the bill by strikmg out all of section 1 7 
Amend the bill by stnkmg out all of section 20 and msertmg the followmg 
'Sec. 20. 12 MRSA §11212-A, as amended by PL 2019, c 325, §4, 1s further 
amended by amendmg the section headnote to read 
§11212-A. Having a loaded firearm or crossbow in a motor vehicle or hunting or 
shooting from a motor vehicle or motorboat with a firearm or archery 
equipment 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT •A" to HP 1204, L D 1879 
Sec. 21. 12 MRSA §11212-A, sub-§3, ~' as enacted by PL 2017, c 176, §2, 1s 
amended to read 
B While huntmg, a person who 1s on but not w1thm an enclosed area or passenger 
compartment of an all-terram vehicle or snowmobile may shoot a firearm or crossbow 
archery equipment or rest a loaded firearm or erossbo:w archery equipment that 1s under 
the person's control on the all-terram vehicle or snowmobile to shoot only when the 
all-terram vehicle or snowmobile 1s not m motion and the engme of the all-terram 
vehicle or snowmobtle 1s not runmng 
Sec. 22. 12 MRSA §11212-A, sub-§3, 1C, as enacted by PL 2017, c 176, §2, 1s 
amended to read 
C While target shootmg and not huntmg, a person who 1s on but not w1thm an enclosed 
area or passenger compartment of a vehicle may shoot a firearm or eFosseow archery 
equipment or rest a loaded firearm or erosshow archery equipment that 1s under the 
person's control on the vehicle to shoot only when the vehicle 1s not in motion and the 
engme of the vehicle 1s not runmng ' 
Amend the bill by relettermg or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively 
SUMMARY 
This amendment 
Adds mstruction on all types of archery equipment to the archery huntmg education 
program, 
Repeals the laws govemmg the crossbow hunting education program, 
Removes references to crossbows from the archery hunter education requrrements 
and establishes that a person's havmg held a crossbow permit issued m this State as of 
December 31, 2023 1s satisfactory evidence of the archery hunter educat10n requrrement, 
Removes changes to the laws reqmrmg the wearmg of hunter orange, and 
Clarifies the laws govemmg huntmg or shootmg from motor vehicles 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved 06/04/23 /WaC!-
LD 1879 
LR 100(02) 
An Act to Align Laws Governing Crossbow Hunting with Those Governing Archery Hunting 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A ( H-1/ 0 1) 
Committee:;Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Mmor cost mcrease - General Fund 
Mm01 revenue mcrease - General Fund 
Mmor revenue mci ease - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Establishes class E crimes The additional wmkload associated with the mmimal numbe1 of new cases filed m the 
court system does not require add1t10nal fundmg at this tnne 
The collection of add1t10nal fmes will mcrease General Fund or othei dedicated revenue by mmor amounts 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to adopt the changes m this bill ate expected 
to be mmor and can be absorbed w1thm ex1stmg budgeted resources 
LR0100(02} - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1