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An Act To Provide Equity in the Lobster Promotion License Surcharge
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6455, sub-§5-A, ¶D, as amended by PL 2017, c. 368, §3, is further amended to read:
 
D. For the years 2016 to 2021year 2019 and thereafter, the surcharges are, for:
 
(1) Class I lobster and crab fishing licenses for persons 18 to 69 years of age, $165.25, $310;
 
(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$310;
 
(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$310;
 
(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.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the provisions regarding surcharges on lobster and crab fishing licenses that fund the Lobster Promotion Fund by replacing the current 3-tiered structure for promotion surcharges on the 3 classes of lobster and crab fishing licenses with a single promotion surcharge of $310 for all 3 classes of licenses.