PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Amend the Current Moose Permit System and Preference Point System in Maine
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11154, sub-§6, ¶A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §10, is further amended to read:
 
A. For a resident:
 
(1) Seven dollars for a one-chance application;
 
(2) Twelve dollars for a 3-chance application. A resident must possess a valid big game hunting license to be eligible to purchase a 3-chance application; and
 
(3) Twenty-two dollars for a 6-chance application. A resident must possess a valid big game hunting license to be eligible to purchase a 6-chance application. A person may purchase an additional unlimited number of chances for $3 per chance when purchasing a 6-chance application under this subparagraph; or
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §11154, sub-§8-A  is enacted to read:
 
8-A.  Maximum-point drawing.   Before the public chance drawing is held under subsection 9, a maximum-point drawing must be held to award 500 permits. To be eligible for this drawing a person must have the maximum number of points possible accumulated pursuant to subsection 8 and each person has one chance in the drawing.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §11154, sub-§8-B  is enacted to read:
 
8-B.  Resident high-point drawing.   After the maximum-point drawing is held under subsection 8-A and before the public chance drawing is held under subsection 9, a resident high-point drawing must be held to award 1/3 of the number of permits for the year minus 500 awarded under subsection 8-A. To be eligible for this drawing a person must be eligible for a resident license, must have at least 7 points accumulated pursuant to subsection 8 and may not have been awarded a permit under subsection 8-A. Each eligible person has the same number of chances in the drawing as the number of points accumulated by that person.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11154, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
 
9. Selection procedure.PermitteesExcept as otherwise provided in this section, permittees are selected by a public chance drawing.
 
To be eligible for the public chance drawing, a person may not have been awarded a permit under subsection 8-A or 8-B. Each eligible person has the number of chances purchased under subsection 6 plus one chance for each point accumulated pursuant to subsection 8.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law governing the public drawings for moose hunting permits. This bill allows for the purchase of an unlimited number of chances in the so-called moose lottery after the purchase of a 6-chance application. The bill also implements 2 special permit drawings before the public chance drawings. The first, with 500 permits awarded, is for those who have the maximum amount of bonus points accumulated because they have consistently applied for and never received a moose hunting permit. The 2nd, with 1/3 of the remaining available permits, is for residents who have 7 or more points accumulated.