An Act To Create The Commercial Fishing Safety Fund To Further Develop Training And Provide Equipment To Recover Ships And Other Watercraft And Persons In Distress Or Lost At Sea

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Holly Eaton and 9 co-sponsors

Creates the Commercial Fishing Safety Fund to train and equip search-and-rescue capabilities for vessels, with donations allowed to fund safety measures.

Signed by Governor

#emergencyservices #personnel #training

Purpose

LD 1708 creates a dedicated fund to support training and equipment that improve recovery and search-and-rescue capabilities for commercial fishing vessels, other watercraft, and people in distress or lost at sea. The intent is to strengthen maritime safety by enabling targeted investments and accepting outside contributions for those purposes.

Key provisions

Establishes the "Commercial Fishing Safety Fund" as an Other Special Revenue Fund within the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR).

Authorizes the DMR to accept donations and other contributions into the Fund.

Allows the department to receive and expend money from the Fund for activities consistent with the bill’s purpose (development of training and acquisition of equipment for recovery and rescue operations).

No specific spending levels, grant programs, or mandatory disbursement formulas are specified in the documents provided.

Note: The bill was enacted with Committee Amendment “A” (H-351). The fiscal notes provided reflect the enacted/engrossed version; the amendment text itself is not contained in the materials supplied here.

Fiscal impact

A one-time/ongoing appropriation of $500 in Other Special Revenue Funds is required beginning in FY 2025‑26 (and ongoing in subsequent fiscal years) to create the accounting account and enable the DMR to receive and expend funds.

The provision to accept donations means the Fund’s future size and activity depend on contributions; no additional state General Fund appropriation is specified.

Who is affected

Department of Marine Resources — establishes and administers the Fund and any resulting programs.

Commercial fishing industry, vessel operators, and coastal communities — potential beneficiaries of improved training, equipment, and recovery capacity.

Search-and-rescue providers, municipal/volunteer rescue teams, and other emergency response partners — may receive equipment, training, or funding supported by the Fund.

State budget/accounting — minor administrative setup cost ($500) to create and manage the new special revenue account.

Legislative actions & timeline

Introduced: April 17, 2025 (Referred to Committee on Marine Resources)

Committee work and amendment: Work session and reported Out of Committee as OTP‑AM; Committee Amendment “A” (H‑351) adopted.

Passed Legislature: June 2, 2025 (engrossed as amended; concurrence)

Signed by Governor: June 10, 2025 — bill enacted.

Notes and limitations

The bill creates the mechanism (a fund and authority to accept contributions) but does not by itself establish specific grant programs, eligibility criteria, or appropriation amounts for training or equipment purchases beyond enabling the Fund. Future administrative rules, program decisions, or appropriations would determine how collected funds are used.

Bill