# Maine LD 2025: An Act to Create a Limited-purpose License for Aquaculture Nursery and Husbandry Activities and to Clarify the Aquaculture Lease Amendment Process Maine LD 2025, An Act to Create a Limited-purpose License for Aquaculture Nursery and Husbandry Activities and to Clarify the Aquaculture Lease Amendment Process, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Morgan Rielly (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 672); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2025-132 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 2025 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Create a Limited-purpose License for Aquaculture Nursery and Husbandry Activities and to Clarify the Aquaculture Lease Amendment Process - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-12-03 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 672 - Sponsor: Morgan Rielly (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: AQUACULTURE, AQUACULTURE - LICENSING - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Aquaculture funds support applications and oversight: benefit, low. Aquaculture fund money can support lease and license application processing, public information, and management of existing sites. Allowed work includes education, outreach, compliance, and inspections. Lease amendment fees go to the Aquaculture Management Fund. The law removes earlier water-qualit… - Fewer annual reports for aquaculture leaseholders: benefit, low. Covered aquaculture leaseholders no longer must file the repealed annual seeding and harvesting reports and plans. The law also removes the earlier statutory requirement to mark leased areas. Previously submitted reports that were confidential when filed stay confidential while the department keeps… - Aquaculture inspections expand with privacy protections: mixed, low. Maine's Department of Marine Resources can inspect covered aquaculture sites and facilities; nursery and husbandry licenses receive annual inspections. Sampling requires an identified possible risk to public, animal, or marine-organism health and at least 24 hours' notice explaining the reason. Sam… - Aquaculture lease changes face fees and limits: mixed, low. Eligible aquaculture leaseholders gain a formal process to add species, gear, equipment, or structures. Nonrefundable fees set by rule are capped at $200 for species, $500 for gear, and $500 for equipment or structures. Species applications must identify the stock source and show compatibility with… - Aquaculture lease extensions carry late fees: mixed, low. Limited-purpose commercial research and development leaseholders can apply for a standard lease before expiration or within 30 days afterward. Filing after expiration costs a nonrefundable $500 late fee. The commissioner can waive it when physician-documented substantial illness or a medical condit… - Licensed aquaculture gear gains damage protections: mixed, low. The law bars unauthorized interference with approved gear or taking organisms at currently licensed nursery and husbandry sites. Exceptions cover the licenseholder, marine patrol officers, and aquaculture inspectors authorized by the commissioner. Violations carry civil fines of at least $100 each.… - New nursery licenses for aquaculture operators: mixed, low. The law creates licenses for raising young marine organisms below the mean low-water mark, without discharges into coastal waters. Applicants generally need an existing qualifying aquaculture lease or license; specified municipal applicants are exempt. Approved gear, excluding moorings, can cover u… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Morgan Rielly (Democratic), House ## Actions (6) - 2026-04-13: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 672 - 2026-04-06: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-04-02: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-04-02: Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) READCommittee Amendment "A" (H-951) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) READ and ADOPTED. Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-961) thereto ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-961) thereto in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-04-02: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYOn OBJECTION of Representative HEPLER of Woolwich REMOVED.The Committee Report was READ and ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) was READ.On motion of Representative HEPLER of Woolwich, House Amendment "A" (H-961) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) was READ and ADOPTED.Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-961) thereto was ADOPTED. Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-951) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-961) thereto.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-12-03: Received by the Clerk of the House on December 3, 2025.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on MARINE RESOURCES pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-951), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=2&snum=132) - Amendment H-A to C-A (H-961), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=3&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=5&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-951), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=2&snum=132) - [Amendment H-A to C-A (H-961), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=3&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=5&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1355&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2025-132 (as of 2026-10-18).