An Act Related to the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2217
Committee Amendment CA_A_S638 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10206, 12 MRSA §10264, 12 MRSA §10902, 12 MRSA §11109, 12 MRSA §11109-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " (\ » to S.P. 904, L.D. 2217, "An Act Related to the
Electronic Tagging of Deer"
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 1 and 2 and inserting the following;
'See. 1. 12 MRSA §10206, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 2003,c, 414, Pt, A, §2 and
affected by c, 614, §9, is amended to read;
10. Phcusnut hunting Certain hunting license and permit revenues. Revenues All
revenues generated from the sale of pheasant hunting permits under section 11156 and $2
from each resident huntine license and $4 from each nonresident huntine license issued
pursuant to section 11109 must be deposited into a separate account within the department,
to be known as the Pheasant Resource Management Fund and referred to in this subsection
as the "fund." The fund is nonlapslng. The fund may be used efily for costs directly related
to the administration of the pheasant program, including grants to a qualified rod and gun
club or qualified hunting-oriented organization to help defray the costs of purchasing and
raising pheasants in accordance with an agreement with the commissioner entered into in
accordance with section 10108, subsection 9. The fund may also be used to administer the
deer reeistration proaram in accordance with section 12301-C. and funds from the fund
may be used to collect bioloeical information from harvested deer. Two dollars must be
transferred from the fund to the Maine Deer Management Fund established under sectiQn
10264 for each registered deer pursuant to chapter 919.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10264, last % as amended by PL 2023, c. 593, §1, is farther
amended to read:
Notwithstanding section 10801, subsection 4, $2 of hr each deer registration fee
colleoted registered under seotion 12301 A. subGeotion 3. pnragmph G chapter 919 must be
deposited in transferred into the fund from the Resource Management Fund identified in
section 10206. subsection 10 and may be used to assist landowners with the prevention or
management oflandowner-deer conflicts. 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
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " f\n to S,P. 904, L.D. 2217 I ^
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^^ 1 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.
See. 3. 12 MRSA §10902, sub-§12 is enacted to read:
12. Mandatory huntine license suspension for failure to register deer. _The
coinmissiQnershall susfiend a person's huntine license for one year if that person fails to
reeister a deer pursuant to chapter 919.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ^B, as repealed and replaced by PL 2015, c.
494, Pt. D, §2, is amended to read:
B, A resident hunting license, for a person 16 years of age or older, is $3€ $28 and
permits hunting of all legal species, subject to the permit requirements in subchapter 3.
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ^D, as amended by PL 2025, c. 388, Pt. NNN,
§ 1, is further amended to read;
D, A resident combination hunting and fishing license is $4& $50 and permits hunting
of all legal species, subject to the permit requirements in subchapter 3.
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, flE, as amended by PL 2025, c. 388, Pt. NNN,
§2, is further amended to read:
E. A resident combination archery hunting and fishing license is $4» $50 and permits
hunting of all legal species, subject to the permit requirements in subchapter 3.
See. 7. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ^E-l, as repealed and replaced by PL 2015, c.
494, Pt. D, §2, is amended to read:
E-l, A resident apprenticeship hunter license, which includes a bear hunting permit
and a wild turkey hunting permit under sections 11151 and 11155, respectively, is $2^
$28 and permits hunting of all legal species, subject to the permit requirements in
subchaptei-3.
Sec. 8. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ^fl, as repealed and replaced by PL 2015, c.
494, Pt. D, §2, is amended to read;
I. A nonresident hunting license, which permits hunting of all legal species subject to
the permit requirements in subchapter 3, is $4+§- $119,
Sec. 9. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ^[J, as amended by PL 2025, c. 3 88, Ft. NNN,
§3, is further amended to read;
J. A nonresident combination hunting and fishing license is $4^9 $ 173.
See. 10. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ^P, as repealed and replaced by PL 2015, c.
494, Pt, D, §2, is amended to read:
P. A nonresident apprenticeship hunter license, which permits the hunting of all legal
species and includes a bear hunting permit and a wild turkey hunting permit under
sections 11151 and 11155, respectively. Is $+4^ $119.
Page2-132LR3046(02)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " M" to S.P. 904, L,D. 2217 L 0" *
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Sec. 11. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2025,c,388,Pt. NNN, §4,
is further amended to read;
7. Archery hunting licenses; combination licenses; fees. Archery hunting licenses,
combination licenses and fees are as follows;
A, A resident archery license is $36 $28;
B. A resident combination archery hunting and fishing license is $48 $50;
C. A nonresident archery license is $^ $79; and
E. A nonresident 6-day archery license, which is valid for 6 consecutive hunting days,
is$36$30.
Sec. 12. 12 MRSA §11109-A, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2025, c. 388, Pt, NNN,
§5, is further amended to read:
5. Fee. The fee for a super pack license is $3AS $214 for residents and ^W- $189 for
a person holding 2 or more lifetime licenses.'
Amend the bill by inserting after section 8 the following;
'See. 9. Report. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife shall submit a
report on tlie electronic registration of deer to the joint standing committee of the
Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters by January 1,
2029. The report must include findings and recommendations related to the electronic
registration of deer, The committee is authorized to report out a bill based on the report to
the 134th Legislature in 2029.
Sec. 10. Phase-in of electronic fagging of deer. Notwithstanding the Maine
Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 12301-C enacted in this Act, the Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife may phase in implementation of section 12301-C in accordance with
this section. The department shall adopt rules to allow a person to register deer
electronically no later than the following dates based on season:
1, By September 1, 2027, for deer killed during muzzleloader season;
2. By September 1, 2028, for deer killed during the regular firearm season and the
youth hunting season;
3, By September 1, 2029, for deer killed during tile regular archery season; and
4, By September 1, 2030, for deer killed during the expanded archeiy season.'
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively,
SUMMARY
This amendment does the following.
1. It increases by $2 certain hunting license fees for residents and by $4 certain hunting
license fees for nonresidents.
2. It requires the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to suspend an
individual's hunting license for one year if the individual fails to register a harvested deer,
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " /{ " to S.P. 904, L.D. 22 17 (. .^.
^QP 1 3. It directs the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to submit a report to tlie
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and
wildlife matters by January 1,2029 regarding its findings and recommendations related to
the electronic registration of deer. The committee is authorized to report out a bill based
on the report.
4, It renames the Pheasant Fund as the Resource Management Fund and expands the
funding sources and purposes of the fund. It requires $2 to be transferred from the Resource
Management Fund to the Maine Deer Management Fund for each registered deer.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
Page4-mLR3046(02)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved; 04/03/26 LRL
LD 2217 LR 3046(02)
An Act Related to the Electronic Tagging of Deer
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ^( ^ (oW
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Current biennium revenue decrease - Other Special Revenue Funds
Current biennium revenue increase - Other Special Revenue Funds
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill eliminates registration fees for bear, deer, moose, and wild turkey, resulting in a reduction in Other Special
Revenue Funds revenue to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Based on historical collections, this
reduction is estimated to be approximately $200,000 to $250,000 annually.
The bill also increases certain hunting license fees by $2 for residents and $4 for nonresidents, resulting in an increase
in revenue to the department from Other Special Revenue Funds.
The net fiscal impact of these changes will depend on license sales and participation levels and cannot be determined
with certainty at this time. The bill may also result in additional costs to IFW associated with administering an
electronic registration system and collecting biological data, which may require future allocations depending on
program implementation and available resources.
LR3046(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1