Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB53 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0053
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 53
8	8	M2 5lr1173
9	9	(PRE–FILED)
10	10	By: Senator Bailey
11	11	Requested: October 10, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Natural Resources – Commercial Crab Harvest – Start Time 2
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Natural Resources to adopt regulations 3
22	22	authorizing a tidal fish licensee who is authorized to catch crabs to begin catching 4
23	23	crabs at a certain time during certain months; and generally relating to tidal fish 5
24	24	licensees and crab harvests. 6
25	25
26	26	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
27	27	Article – Natural Resources 8
28	28	Section 4–803 9
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 10
30	30	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
31	31
32	32	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
33	33	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
34	34
35	35	Article – Natural Resources 14
36	36
37	37	4–803. 15
38	38
39	39	(a) The Department may adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the following 16
40	40	purposes: 17
41	41
42	42	(1) To restrict catching and possessing any blue crab; 18
43	43
44	44	(2) The methods by which crabs are taken; 19
45	45
46	46	(3) To close or open any specified area to catch crabs; 20
47	47
48	48	(4) To prohibit or restrict devices used to catch crabs; 21 2 SENATE BILL 53
49	49
50	50
51	51
52	52	(5) To establish seasons to catch crabs; 1
53	53
54	54	(6) To establish that the workday for tidal fish licensees who catch crabs 2
55	55	using trotline gear may begin earlier than 1 hour before sunrise; and 3
56	56
57	57	(7) To establish minimum size limits for hard, soft, and peeler crabs. 4
58	58	[However, this section does not permit the Department to change existing license fees for 5
59	59	catching, picking, canning, packing, or shipping cooked hard or soft crabs or crab meat; or 6
60	60	for selling, or shipping live hard or soft crabs by barrel or crate. The Department may set 7
61	61	license fees on types of gear or equipment if not otherwise set by law.] 8
62	62
63	63	(b) (1) The Department may not adopt regulations to: 9
64	64
65	65	(i) Restrict a tidal fish licensee who catches crabs using trotline gear 10
66	66	to a workday of less than 8 hours per day, excluding time spent setting or taking up gear; 11
67	67	or 12
68	68
69	69	(ii) Establish time restrictions on a tidal fish licensee using trotline 13
70	70	gear for setting and taking up gear. 14
71	71
72	72	(2) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, if the Department 15
73	73	authorizes the workday to begin earlier than 1 hour before sunrise, then: 16
74	74
75	75	(i) The Department may not adopt regulations to restrict a tidal fish 17
76	76	licensee who catches crabs using trotline gear to a workday of less than 11 hours per day, 18
77	77	including time spent setting or taking up gear; and 19
78	78
79	79	(ii) Trotline gear may not be set earlier than the catch time 20
80	80	established by the Department. 21
81	81
82	82	(c) The Department shall adopt regulations that authorize a tidal fish licensee 22
83	83	who is authorized to catch crabs [using]: 23
84	84
85	85	(1) USING all legal gear to work 1 additional early hour on Labor Day, 24
86	86	Memorial Day, July 4, and the day before each of these holidays in a license year; AND 25
87	87
88	88	(2) TO BEGIN CATCHING CRABS AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE SUNRISE 26
89	89	FROM JULY 1 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, INCLUSIVE. 27
90	90
91	91	(d) (1) THIS SECTION DOES NOT AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO 28
92	92	CHANGE EXISTING LICE NSE FEES FOR: 29
93	93
94	94	(I) CATCHING, PICKING, CANNING, PACKING, OR SHIPPING 30
95	95	COOKED HARD OR SOFT CRABS O R CRAB MEAT; OR 31
96	96	SENATE BILL 53 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(II) SELLING OR SHIPPING L IVE HARD OR SOFT CRA BS BY 1
100	100	BARREL OR CRATE . 2
101	101
102	102	(2) THE DEPARTMENT MAY SET LI CENSE FEES ON TYPES OF GEAR OR 3
103	103	EQUIPMENT IF NOT OTH ERWISE SET BY LAW . 4
104	104
105	105	(E) (1) The Department’s regulations may not become effective under this 5
106	106	section until the Department first holds public hearings. 6
107	107
108	108	(2) The Department shall advertise the time, place, and purpose of the 7
109	109	hearings in one newspaper of general daily circulation in the State, and at least in one 8
110	110	newspaper circulated in the affected region of each county whose waters may be directly 9
111	111	affected by the proposed regulations at least once per week for 2 successive weeks in 10
112	112	advance of the hearings. 11
113	113
114	114	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 12
115	115	1, 2025. 13