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An Act To Continue the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-H, sub-§14, as amended by PL 2013, c. 309, §1, is further amended to read:
 
14.   
 
This subsection is repealed October 1, 2021.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §6455, sub-§2-B  is enacted to read:
 
2-B.  Executive committee.     The collaborative shall establish an executive committee of no fewer than 5 members, who are appointed by a majority vote of the collaborative. The collaborative shall specify in its bylaws when the executive committee may act on behalf of the collaborative with regard to oversight of collaborative staff, daily operations of the collaborative and addressing unexpected expenditures to be made by the collaborative. The bylaws must specify what constitutes a quorum of the executive committee and how many votes are necessary for the executive committee to take a valid action. In addition to any other restrictions adopted by the collaborative, the executive committee may not act on behalf of the collaborative to:
 
A.  Adopt or amend an annual budget;
 
B.  Adopt or amend an annual marketing plan;
 
C.  Hire or terminate the employment of the executive director of the collaborative; or
 
D.  Amend the bylaws of the collaborative.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6455, sub-§5-A, ¶D, as amended by PL 2013, c. 492, §5, is further amended to read:
 
D. For the years 2016 to 20182021 the surcharges are, for:
 
(1) Class I lobster and crab fishing licenses for persons 18 to 69 years of age, $165.25;
 
(2) Class II lobster and crab fishing licenses, $330.50, except that for license holders 70 years of age or older the surcharge is $165;
 
(3) Class III lobster and crab fishing licenses, $480.75, except that for license holders 70 years of age or older the surcharge is $240;
 
(4) Nonresident lobster and crab landing permits, $480.75;
 
(5) Wholesale seafood licenses with lobster permits if the license holders hold no supplemental wholesale seafood licenses with lobster permits, or lobster transportation licenses if the license holders hold no supplemental lobster transportation licenses, $1,200;
 
(6) Supplemental wholesale seafood licenses with lobster permits or supplemental lobster transportation licenses as follows:
 
(a) One thousand eight hundred dollars for up to 2 supplemental wholesale seafood licenses with lobster permits or supplemental lobster transportation licenses;
 
(b) Two thousand four hundred dollars for 3 to 5 supplemental wholesale seafood licenses with lobster permits or supplemental lobster transportation licenses; and
 
(c) Three thousand dollars for 6 or more supplemental wholesale seafood licenses with lobster permits or supplemental lobster transportation licenses; and
 
(7) Lobster processor licenses, $1,000 if less than 1,000,000 pounds of raw product is processed, and $4,000 if 1,000,000 pounds or more of raw product is processed.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §6455, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 309, §2, is repealed.
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §6455, sub-§9  is enacted to read:
 
9.  Repeal.     This section is repealed October 1, 2021.
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §6455, last ¶, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 309, §2, is repealed.
Sec. 7. Report. The Commissioner of Marine Resources shall investigate whether the surcharges assessed under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 6455, subsection 5-A on a wholesale seafood license with lobster permits or a supplemental lobster transportation license may be amended to reflect the amount of lobster bought, sold, shipped or transported by the license holder or a class of license holders. The commissioner shall provide a report of recommendations to amend the surcharges to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over marine resources matters by January 15, 2019. The joint standing committee may report out legislation to the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based upon the report.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 128th Legislature, Second Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.