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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 593 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2177
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Kenneth P. Sweezey and Patrick Joseph Kearney
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to provide economic security for fishing industry participants.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kenneth P. Sweezey6th Plymouth1/10/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/13/2025Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol2/18/2025Mark D. Sylvia10th Bristol2/25/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 593 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2177
By Representatives Sweezey of Duxbury and Kearney of Scituate, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 2177) of Kenneth P. Sweezey, Patrick Joseph Kearney and others for legislation
to authorize the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to analyze the economic
disruption and harm to the financial stability of those engaged in commercial fishing in the
Commonwealth. Labor and Workforce Development.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1850 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to provide economic security for fishing industry participants.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Section 1 - Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary the Secretary of
2Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Division of Marine Fisheries, is
3hereby authorized and directed to analyze the economic disruption and harm to the financial
4stability of those engaged in commercial fishing in the Commonwealth that results from the
5inability to earn income as a result of state and federal regulatory actions including but not
6limited to area closures, gear restrictions, and time limitations, and to develop a plan to mitigate
7such harm through mechanisms such as modifications to the state's unemployment insurance
8system to take into account the particular circumstances resulting from such regulatory actions. 2 of 2
9 Section 2 - In carrying out the provisions of section 1 the Secretary shall take into
10account the economic hardship occurring as a result of seasonal closures in the commercial
11lobster fishery for the purpose of preventing harm to North Atlantic Right Whales, in addition to
12other seasonal closures presently in place or which may occur in the future.
13 Section 3 - The Secretary shall file any plan developed pursuant to this act, together with
14any legislative recommendations to carry it out, with the clerks of the House and Senate not later
15than April 1, 2026.