An Act to Provide a Free Antlerless Deer Permit to Certain Landowners Who Allow the Public to Hunt on Their Property
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0614
Committee Amendment CA_A_H851 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10264, 12 MRSA §11402

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^» to H.P, 391, L.D, 614, "An Act to Provide a
Free Antlerless Deer Permit to Certain Landowners Who Allow the Public to Hunt on Their
Property"
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'An Act to Reduce Conflicts Between Landowners and Deer and Add an Additional
Youth Deer Hunting Day'
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the
following:
'See. 1. 12 MRSA §10264, as amended by PL 2023, c, 187,§2, is further amended
to read;
§10264. Maine Deer Management Fund
The Maine Deer Management Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is
established within the department as a nonlapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to
fund or assist in funding predator control, to assist landowners with the prevention or
management of landowner-deer conflict and to acquire or enhance deer habitat, If the funds
from the fund are used to directly enhance or manage a deer wintering area on land under
the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of
Parks and Lands, the land must be designated as a deer wintering area pursuant to section
1805-A. The commissioner shall establish on the departments online licensing system
checkoff options that allow a person to donate money for predator control, landowner-deer
conflict prevention or management or deer habitat acquisition or enhancement, The
0 checkoff options muQt be prominently displayed and contain web links to information about
how the oheckoff revenues have been and will be used. The commissioner shall also print
in a prominent place on every paper application for a hunting license oheokoff options that
allow a person to donate money to the fund for predator control or deer habitat acquisition
or enliancoment, Revenues from the oheckoffs must be deposited m the fund and used for
5 purposes indicated by the checkoffs.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
ROS
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "p^- " to H.P. 391, L.D. 614
Notwithstanding section 10801, subsection 4, $2 of each deer registration fee collected
under section 12301-A, subsection 3, paragraph C must be deposited in the fund and may
be used to assist landowners with the prevention or management of landowner^eer
conflicts. Fifty percent of the funds deposited in the fund from tho door registration fees
must be used for predator control purposes and 50% of the deposited fees must be ysed-te
acquire or enhance deer habitat, In addition, the revenue from each antlerless deer permit
fee collected under section 11152, subsection 9, minus administrative costs, must be
deposited in the fund and be used for predator control purposes or to acquire or manage
deer habitat. The commissioner may accept and deposit into the fund monetary gifts,
donations or other contributions from public or private sources for the purposes specified
in this section. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and
accounts, The department shall report annually to the joint standing committee of the
Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters on the fund and
its utilization.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11402, sub-§4, ^[C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2
and affected by c, 614, §9, is amended to read:
C. Establish a 2-day youth deer hunting day period. to be held on the Friday and
Saturday precedinp the Saturday designated as an open day for residents_Qfthe_State
pursuant to section 11401,
. Sec. 3. Report. By Februaiy 1,2027, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
shall provide a report to the j oint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction
over inland fisheries and wildlife matters that includes findings and recommendations
related to the extension of the youth deer hunting period under the Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 12, section 11402, subsection 4, paragraph C, The committee may report out a bill
based on the report to the 133rd Legislature in 2027,
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF
Resource Management Services - Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 0534
Initiative: Provides allocations for expenditures related to assisting landowners with the
prevention or management of landowner-deer conflicts.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2023-24 2024-25
AllOther $0 $71,628
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $71,628
Amend the bill by relettermg or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
8 number to read consecutively,
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces the bill, changes the title and makes the following changes,
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
^Q§' COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^" to H,P. 391, L.D. 614
1. It requires that funds from the Maine Deer Management Fund within the Department
of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife be used to help reduce conflicts between landowners and
deer and directs the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to add a checkoff option
on the department's online licensing system that allows a person to donate money for
landowner-deer conflict prevention and management,
2, It removes the provision that $2 of each deer registration fee deposited in the Maine
Deer Management Fund within the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife be used
for predator control and deer habitat purposes and instead provides that it may be used to
assist landowners with the prevention or management of deer conflicts.
3, It requires that revenue deposited in the Mame Deer Management Fund within the
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife from antlerless deer permit fees, minus
administrative costs, must be used for predator control purposes or to acquire or manage
deer habitat.
4. It extends the youth deer hunting period from one day to 2 days and establishes that
the period takes place on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Saturday designated as an
open day for residents of the State.
5, It directs the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife by February 1, 2027 to
provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislatire having jurisdiction over
inland fisheries and wildlife matters on the changes to youth deer hunting. The joint
standing committee is authorized to report out a bill based on the report to the 133rd
Legislature in 2027.
FISCAL NOTE REQUmED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 03/14/24 /^KB-Ct
LD 614 LR 1280(02)
An Act to Provide a Free Antlerless Deer Permit to Certain Landowners Who Allow the Public to
Hunt on Their Property
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ^ (\\ -\
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27
Appropriations/AIlocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $71,628 $71,628 $71,628
Revenue
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $71,628 $71,628 $71,628
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Under current law agents who collect the $5 deer registration fee when a harvested deer is registered remit $3 to the
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DD:?W) and retain $2, Instead, this bill will require the total amount of
the registration fee to be remitted to DIFW with the $2 deposited in the Deer Management Fund (DMF). Using an
estimated 35,814 registrations, which is the average number of harvested deer from 2018 through 2023, the additional
$2 will generate $71,628 annually beginning in fiscal year 2024-25. The bill includes a corresponding allocation to
allow for the expenditure of additional revenue,
This bill also removes a ratio for types of expenditures from the DMF and adds new allowable uses of the fund. The
bill also directs DIPW to incorporate a check-offbox to the online licensing system to allow donations for assisting
with deer conflict prevention and management which will increase Other Special Revenue Funds revenue,
LR1280(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1