| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. |
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| 4 | 4 | | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. |
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| 5 | 5 | | *hb1249* |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | HOUSE BILL 1249 |
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| 8 | 8 | | M2 EMERGENCY BILL 5lr3459 |
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| 9 | 9 | | CF SB 960 |
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| 10 | 10 | | By: Delegates Jacobs, Adams, Arentz, Ghrist, and Hutchinson |
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| 11 | 11 | | Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Assigned to: Environment and Transportation |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Natural Resources – Blue Catfish – Population Control 2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | FOR the purpose of establishing that regulations of the Department of Natural Resources 3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | governing the catching of blue catfish shall establish a certain pilot program, shall 4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | authorize the use of finfish trotlines of up to a certain length, may not set a limit on 5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | the number of hooks used, and shall authorize the use of certain hooks; and generally 6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | relating to blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. 7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | |
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| 26 | 26 | | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8 |
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| 27 | 27 | | Article – Natural Resources 9 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Section 4–701.2 10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 11 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12 |
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| 31 | 31 | | |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13 |
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| 33 | 33 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14 |
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| 34 | 34 | | |
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| 35 | 35 | | Article – Natural Resources 15 |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | 4–701.2. 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | (a) There is a commercial blue and flathead catfish finfish trotline license. 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) (1) The license authorizes the holder to catch for sale blue and flathead 18 |
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| 42 | 42 | | catfish in the tidal waters of the State using a finfish trotline, as defined in Department 19 |
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| 43 | 43 | | regulations. 20 |
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| 44 | 44 | | |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) (I) A licensee shall fish in accordance with Department regulations. 21 |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2 HOUSE BILL 1249 |
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| 47 | 47 | | |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | (II) FOR CATCHING BLUE CAT FISH, THE DEPARTMENT ’S 1 |
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| 50 | 50 | | REGULATIONS : 2 |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | 1. SHALL ESTABLISH A PILOT PR OGRAM AUTHORIZING 3 |
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| 53 | 53 | | THE USE OF ELECTROFI SHING; 4 |
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| 54 | 54 | | |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2. SHALL AUTHORIZE THE U SE OF FINFISH TROTLI NES 5 |
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| 56 | 56 | | OF UP TO 2,400 FEET IN LENGTH ; 6 |
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| 57 | 57 | | |
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| 58 | 58 | | 3. MAY NOT SET A LIMIT O N THE NUMBER OF HOOK S 7 |
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| 59 | 59 | | USED; AND 8 |
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| 60 | 60 | | |
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| 61 | 61 | | 4. SHALL AUTHORIZE THE U SE OF HOOKS THAT ARE NOT 9 |
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| 62 | 62 | | CORRODIBLE . 10 |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | (c) A person who wishes to obtain the license shall complete and submit an 11 |
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| 65 | 65 | | application for the license to the Department or any person designated by the Department. 12 |
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| 66 | 66 | | |
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| 67 | 67 | | (d) An applicant for the license does not need to hold a tidal fish license under § 13 |
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| 68 | 68 | | 4–701 of this subtitle to be eligible for the license. 14 |
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| 69 | 69 | | |
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| 70 | 70 | | (e) The term of the license is 1 year from September 1 through August 31 the 15 |
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| 71 | 71 | | following year. 16 |
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| 72 | 72 | | |
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| 73 | 73 | | (f) The annual license fee is $15. 17 |
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| 74 | 74 | | |
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| 75 | 75 | | (g) A licensee may not transfer a license issued under this section. 18 |
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| 76 | 76 | | |
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| 77 | 77 | | (h) A licensee shall have a commercial blue and flathead catfish finfish trotline 19 |
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| 78 | 78 | | license in the licensee’s possession when the licensee fishes under the license. 20 |
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| 79 | 79 | | |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That on or before September 1, 21 |
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| 81 | 81 | | 2025, the Department of Agriculture shall issue a report to the General Assembly, in 22 |
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| 82 | 82 | | accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, outlining needs and best 23 |
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| 83 | 83 | | practices for: 24 |
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| 84 | 84 | | |
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| 85 | 85 | | (1) collecting harvested blue catfish; 25 |
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| 86 | 86 | | |
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| 87 | 87 | | (2) processing harvested blue catfish; 26 |
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| 88 | 88 | | |
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| 89 | 89 | | (3) marketing blue catfish to private and government merchants; and 27 |
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| 90 | 90 | | |
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| 91 | 91 | | (4) financing these needs and best practices. 28 |
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| 92 | 92 | | |
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| 93 | 93 | | SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 29 |
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| 94 | 94 | | measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 30 HOUSE BILL 1249 3 |
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| 95 | 95 | | |
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| 96 | 96 | | |
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| 97 | 97 | | been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 1 |
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| 98 | 98 | | each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 2 |
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| 99 | 99 | | enacted. 3 |
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