Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§5, śC, as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, Pt. A, §14, is amended to read:

C. Meets the requirements of the apprentice program under section 6422 or section 6475; or

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§5, śC-1 is enacted to read:

C-1.__Meets the requirements for a waiver from the apprentice program under section 6421-C; or

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6421-C is enacted to read:

§6421-C.__Apprentice program waiver

A person is eligible for a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license without meeting the requirements of the apprentice program under section 6422 if the person:

1.__Held license.__Held a valid Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license within the 5 previous calendar years; and

2.__Fished for lobster.__Fished for lobster under a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license for at least 5 years.

SUMMARY

This bill provides that a person who held a lobster and crab fishing license within the previous 5 years and fished for lobster under a lobster and crab fishing license for at least 5 years is eligible for a lobster license without meeting the requirements of the lobster apprentice program.