An Act To Expand Eligibility for Lobster and Crab Fishing Licenses for Veterans

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  veterans of military service have served our State and our country; and

Whereas,  veterans who held a lobster and crab fishing license prior to or during the person's military service may not be eligible for a new license because of military service obligations; and

Whereas,  those veterans should remain eligible for a lobster and crab fishing license without meeting the requirements of the apprentice program; and

Whereas,  this legislation needs to take effect before the fishing season starts; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§5, ¶C,  as amended by PL 2011, c. 486, §1, is further amended to read:

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§5, ¶D,  as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, Pt. A, §15, is amended to read:

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§5, ¶I  is enacted to read:

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill provides that a veteran who was honorably discharged, began military service prior to November 1, 2015, previously held a lobster or crab fishing license that was not revoked or suspended and reported lobster or crab landings to the Department of Marine Resources under that license is eligible to obtain a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license.