Governor Janet Mills announced today she has signed a bill to provide noncommercial lobster and crab fishing and scallop licenses to disabled veterans free of charge. The legislation, sponsored by Representative Allison Hepler of Woolwich, passed the Legislature with unanimous support.
“It is my hope that this new law will serve as another small expression of our deep gratitude for the service and sacrifice of our veterans. While we can never fully repay them for their contributions to our state and nation, this law will create more opportunities for disabled veterans to enjoy the Maine outdoors,” said Governor Mills. “I thank Representative Hepler for her work to support Maine’s veterans and the Legislature for its unanimous support of this legislation.”
“This new law is a small token of the state’s deep appreciation for all that our disabled services members have sacrificed,” Representative Hepler, D-Woolwich, said. “It is a simple, yet meaningful, addition to the range of benefits the state already offers to our disabled veterans. I am grateful to Governor Mills for signing this bill into law and to the constituent who asked me to submit this piece of legislation.”
LD 1882 “An Act To Provide Noncommercial Lobster and Crab Fishing Licenses and Scallop Licenses to Disabled Veterans at No Cost” ensures that qualified resident disabled veterans can obtain a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license or a noncommercial scallop license at no cost and exempts qualified resident disabled veterans from paying the scallop license surcharge that is typically assessed on a noncommercial scallop license.
The law will take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature.