An Act Regarding License Suspensions Carried out by the Commissioner of Marine Resources
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2029
Committee: Marine Resources
Sponsors: RENY
Amends: 12 MRSA §6351, 12 MRSA §6371

Legislative Document
No. 2029
S.P. 857
In Senate, December 13, 2023
An Act Regarding License Suspensions Carried out by the 
Commissioner of Marine Resources
Submitted by the Department of Marine Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 203.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 11, 2023.  Referred to the Committee 
on Marine Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator RENY of Lincoln.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §6351, sub-§1, ¶B-2, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §1, is 
amended to read:
B-2.  A conviction for a violation of Title 17‑A, section 802 that is directly related to 
an activity for which a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this 
Part is required;
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §6351, sub-§1, ¶B-3, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §1, is 
amended to read:
B-3.  A conviction for a violation of Title 17‑A, section 805 that is directly related to 
an activity for which a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this 
Part is required;
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §6351, sub-§1, ¶C-1 is enacted to read:
C-1.  A conviction for a violation of Title 17-A, chapter 9 when the offense is directly 
related to an activity for which a license or certificate issued under this Part is required.
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§3, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §2, is 
amended to read:
C.  Setting fire to, sinking or damaging a vessel used to carry out the activities 
authorized under a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this Part 
to such an extent that the vessel cannot be used to carry out those activities by the 
person who has that vessel named on the person's lobster and crab fishing license or 
certificate issued under this Part.
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§4, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §3, is 
amended to read:
A.  Title 17‑A, section 353, when the offense is directly related to an activity for which 
a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this Part is required;
Sec. 6.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§4, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §3, is 
amended to read:
B.  Title 17‑A, section 359, when the offense is directly related to an activity for which 
a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this Part is required;
Sec. 7.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§4, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §3, is 
amended to read:
G.  Title 17‑A, section 802, when the offense is directly related to an activity for which 
a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this Part is required;
Sec. 8.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§4, ¶H, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 197, §3, is 
amended to read:
H.  Title 17‑A, section 805, when the offense is directly related to an activity for which 
a lobster and crab fishing license or certificate issued under this Part is required; or
Sec. 9.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§4, ¶I, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §49, is 
amended to read:
I.  Title 17‑A, section 207 201, 202, 208, 208-B, 209, 210, 210‑A or, 211 or 213, when 
the offense is committed against a marine patrol officer or a family member of a marine 
patrol officer as a result of the marine patrol officer performing what the license or 
certificate holder knows or has reason to know are the marine patrol officer's official 
duties.  As used in this paragraph, "family member" means a spouse, sibling, child's 
spouse, parent by blood, parent by adoption, spouse's parent, child by blood, child by 
adoption, stepchild, stepparent, grandchild or grandparent.; or
Sec. 10.  12 MRSA §6371, sub-§4, ¶J is enacted to read:
J.  Title 17‑A, section 201, 202, 208, 208-B, 209, 210, 210‑A, 211 or 213, when the 
offense is directly related to an activity for which a license or certificate issued under 
this Part is required.
SUMMARY
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing marine resources.
1.  It amends the law so that a conviction of any violation involving arson or aggravated 
criminal mischief is an offense for which a marine resources license or certificate may be 
suspended when the criminal conviction is related to any activity for which a marine 
resources license or certificate is required.
2.  It adds conviction of a certain violation involving offenses against a person to the 
list of offenses for which a marine resources license or certificate may be suspended when 
the offense is directly related to an activity for which a marine resources license or 
certificate is required.
3.  For administrative suspensions of a marine resources license or certificate, it amends 
the existing suspensions for setting fire to, sinking or damaging a vessel used to carry out 
activities authorized under a lobster and crab fishing license to any marine resources license 
or certificate.
4.  It amends what conduct would qualify for a suspension of a marine resources license 
or certificate to include conduct that would constitute a violation involving theft by 
unauthorized taking or transfer, receiving stolen property, arson and aggravated criminal 
mischief when that conduct is directly related to an activity for which a marine resources 
license or certificate is required.  
5.  It amends what qualifies as an offense against a marine patrol officer or a family 
member of a marine patrol officer to include murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, 
elevated aggravated assault and aggravated reckless conduct.  It also provides that the same 
violations against an individual when the offense is directly related to an activity for which 
a marine resources license or certificate is required may also result in the suspension of a 
marine resources license or certificate.