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An Act To Restrict Swim Areas
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §1900, sub-§1, ¶B-1  is enacted to read:
 
B-1.  "Entire length of the shore frontage" means the horizontal distance measured in a straight line between the 2 points at which the property lines of a property intersect with a shoreline.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §1900, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 312, §1, is amended to read:
 
4. Issuance of permit.   The director may issue a permit only to a qualified entity to establish and maintain a developed swim area or a swim line within the water safety zone designed to provide recreational swimming opportunities for the public.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §1900, sub-§8  is enacted to read:
 
8.  Length of swim area.     The director may not issue a permit under subsection 4 for a swim line or a developed swim area unless the length of the developed swim area or of the area delineated by a swim line is equal to or less than 50% of the entire length of the shore frontage of the property from which the developed swim area or the area delineated by a swim line extends or 200 feet, whichever is greater. The length of a developed swim area or of an area delineated by a swim line is measured parallel to the shore.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may not issue a permit for a swim area the length of which, measured parallel to the shore, is more than 50% of the length of the shore frontage of the property from which the swim area extends or 200 feet, whichever is greater.