Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H115 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 468 FILED ON: 1/9/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 115
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Antonio F. D. Cabral
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to create the department of marine fisheries resources.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol1/9/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 468 FILED ON: 1/9/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 115
18	18	By Representative Cabral of New Bedford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 115) of
19	19	Antonio F. D. Cabral for legislation to establish a division of marine fisheries resources within
20	20	the Department of Fish and Game of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
21	21	Agriculture.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 759 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act to create the department of marine fisheries resources.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 130 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
33	33	2Official Edition, is hereby amended, by striking out, in line 26, “division of marine fisheries” and
34	34	3inserting in place thereof the following: “division of marine fisheries resources.”
35	35	4 SECTION 2. Chapter 130 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
36	36	5striking out section 1A and inserting in place thereof the following:
37	37	6 Section 1A. The division of marine fisheries resources shall be within the department in
38	38	7the executive office of environmental affairs and shall be under the administrative supervision of
39	39	8a director who shall be called the director of marine fisheries resources. The director of the
40	40	9division of marine fisheries resources shall be appointed and may be removed by the 2 of 5
41	41	10commissioner of the department of fish and game with the approval of the marine fisheries
42	42	11advisory commission. The said division of marine fisheries resources shall:
43	43	12 (a) Promote and develop the commercial fishing industry; investigate improved methods
44	44	13of marketing and distributing commercial fish products within the commonwealth; and establish
45	45	14standards and design labels for the identification of commercial fish products processed,
46	46	15prepared or packed for distribution and for retail sales.
47	47	16 (b) Improve the conditions for fishermen, fish processors, and other shoreside industries.
48	48	17 (c) Collect and disseminate catch data as well as statistics about the fish and shellfish
49	49	18brought into, processed, marketed, stored, or held within the commonwealth, and make such
50	50	19statistics available to the public from time to time and the location thereof.
51	51	20 (d) Arrange lectures and issues for the general distribution of such publications best
52	52	21adapted to promote the interests of commercial fisheries.
53	53	22 (e) Establish and maintain properties at such places within the commonwealth for the
54	54	23purpose of propagating, rearing, and protecting fish.
55	55	24 (f) Enter into agreements with public or private entities, including the University of
56	56	25Massachusetts, to perform fish counts and fish stock analyses or other fisheries research.
57	57	26 (g) Publish reports or recommendations based on fish counts, fish stock analyses, or other
58	58	27fisheries research.
59	59	28 (h) Advise the Governor of the potential impact of regulation on the fishing industry and
60	60	29cooperate with all departments, boards, officials, and institutions of the commonwealth or its
61	61	30subdivisions that may be concerned in any way with matters under its supervision. 3 of 5
62	62	31 (i) Co-operate with other states, with the United States of America or any agency thereof,
63	63	32with other nations and with any other agencies as may be authorized by the general court, and
64	64	33receive and dispense such funds from any of such agencies, states or governments as may be
65	65	34authorized by the general court; and
66	66	35 (j) Oversee the division of marine fisheries resources and all its functions and administer
67	67	36all the laws relating to marine fisheries as appearing in chapter one hundred and thirty and any
68	68	37other general or special laws, except as pertaining to the enforcement thereof.
69	69	38 SECTION 3. Section 1B of chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking
70	70	39out, in line 1, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof the
71	71	40following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
72	72	41 SECTION 4. Section 74 of said chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended as
73	73	42follows:
74	74	43 (a) striking out, in line 1, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
75	75	44thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”; and
76	76	45 (b) striking out, in line 8, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
77	77	46thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”; and
78	78	47 (c) striking out, in lines 10-11, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
79	79	48place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
80	80	49 (d) striking out, in line 26, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
81	81	50thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”. 4 of 5
82	82	51 (e) striking out, in line 36, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
83	83	52thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
84	84	53 (f) striking out, in line 41, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
85	85	54thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
86	86	55 (g) striking out, in line 44, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
87	87	56thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
88	88	57 (h) striking out, in lines 45-46, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
89	89	58place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
90	90	59 (i) striking out, in lines 51-52, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
91	91	60place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
92	92	61 (j) striking out, in line 58, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
93	93	62thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
94	94	63 (k) striking out, in lines 62-63, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
95	95	64place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
96	96	65 SECTION 5. Section 76 of said chapter, as so appearing is hereby amended by striking
97	97	66out, in line 1, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof the
98	98	67following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
99	99	68 SECTION 6. Section 77 of said chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
100	100	69striking out, in lines 2-3, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof
101	101	70the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”. 5 of 5
102	102	71 SECTION 7. Section 80 of said chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
103	103	72striking out, in line 25, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof the
104	104	73following words: “division of marine fisheries resources”