An Act relative to reimbursement of the Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bruce Tarr

Requires annual General Fund reimbursement to the Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund for revenue losses from free licenses.

Referred to the committee on Agriculture

Overview

Bill Number: Senate Docket No. 1003 (Senate No. 74 in the docket)

Title: An Act relative to reimbursement of the Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund

Introduced: February 27, 2025

Status: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture

Primary sponsor: Senator Bruce E. Tarr (with petition by Tarr and Peter J. Durant)

Purpose and intent

The bill would create a new requirement for reimbursement from the Commonwealth’s General Fund to the Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund (MRFDF). Specifically, it seeks to cover revenue losses incurred when the state issues free licenses (as described in subsection (d)) by providing an annual reimbursement from the General Fund.

Key provision

Amends Section 17C of Chapter 130 of the General Laws (as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition) by adding:

Subsection (h): “The Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund shall be reimbursed annually from the general fund for all lost revenue attributed to the issuance of free licenses pursuant to subsection (d).”

This creates a dedicated mechanism to offset revenue foregone by the MRFDF due to free license policies.

What would be affected

Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund (MRFDF): Would receive annual reimbursements from the General Fund for revenue losses tied to free licenses.

General Fund (Massachusetts): Potential annual expenditure to cover the lost revenues.

Free license program referenced in subsection (d): The policy change driving the revenue losses to be reimbursed.

Fiscal and procedural notes

Fiscal impact: The bill would obligate annual General Fund appropriations equal to the “lost revenue attributed to the issuance of free licenses.” The exact amount would depend on the value of lost license revenue and the scope of the free license program.

Legislative process: Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture on February 27, 2025. No further committee actions or floor actions are indicated in the provided material.

Timeline and next steps

If the committee advances the bill, it would likely move through standard committee hearings, potential amendments, and floor debates in the Senate (and then the House, if it moves forward).

Any enacted measure would specify an effective date and an annual appropriation process to fund the reimbursements.

Notes

The text explicitly adds subsection (h) to Section 17C of Chapter 130.

The bill’s framework presumes a policy allowing or requiring free licenses under subsection (d); the details of that underlying policy are not included in the provided material.

This summary reflects the bill’s current text and stated purposes; it does not reflect enacted law or the outcomes of any future amendments.

Bill