LD439 • 2025

An Act to Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage and Enhance Sporting Opportunities for Maine's Youth by Allowing Maine's Youth to Hunt on Sunday

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Sponsor: Representative Donald Ardell
Last action: 2025-06-02
Official status: Reports READ On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland The Majority Ought Not To Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage and Enhance Sporting Opportunities for Maine's Youth by Allowing Maine's Youth to Hunt on Sunday

An Act to Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage and Enhance Sporting Opportunities for Maine's Youth by Allowing Maine's Youth to Hunt on Sunday Sponsor: Representative Donald Ardell Reference committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

What This Bill Does

An Act to Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage and Enhance Sporting Opportunities for Maine's Youth by Allowing Maine's Youth to Hunt on Sunday Sponsor: Representative Donald Ardell Reference committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

C-A (H-322)

Filed

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1028(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

Page 1 - 132LR1028(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
439 2 Date: (Filing No.
H- ) 3INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

2025-06-02 Senate
Reports READ On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland The Majority Ought Not To Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
2025-05-29 House
Reports READ . On motion of Representative ROBERTS of South Berwick, the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report was ACCEPTED . ROLL CALL NO. 244 (Yeas 89 - Nays 56 - Absent 6 - Excused 0) Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
2025-05-28 Committee
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM
2025-03-12 Committee
Work Session Held
2025-03-12 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2025-02-04 Committee
Referred to Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage and Enhance Sporting Opportunities for Maine's Youth by Allowing Maine's Youth to Hunt on Sunday
Sponsor:
Representative Donald Ardell
Reference committee:
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 439
H.P. 293 House of Representatives, February 4, 2025
An Act to Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage and Enhance
Sporting Opportunities for Maine's Youth by Allowing Maine's
Youth to Hunt on Sunday
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ARDELL of Monticello.

Page 1 - 132LR1028(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10501, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2023, c. 239, §8, is further
3 amended to read:
49. Possession of hunting equipment on Sunday. Possession of hunting equipment
5 in the fields or forests or on the waters or ice in the State on Sunday is prima facie evidence
6 of a violation of section 11205, unless:
7 A. The hunting equipment is carried, securely wrapped, in a complete cover;
8 B. The hunting equipment is fastened in a case; or
9 C. The hunting equipment is carried in at least 2 separate pieces in such a manner that
10 it cannot be fired, unless the separate pieces are joined together. For the purpose of
11 this subsection, a clip, magazine or cylinder of a firearm may not be considered a piece
12 of the hunting equipment. Archery equipment must be kept in a case or cover if
13 broadheads or field points are kept attached to the arrows or bolts. ;
14 D. The hunting equipment is carried by a person hunting pursuant to section 11205,
15 subsection 1-A; or
16 E. The hunting equipment is carried by a person supervising a person hunting in
17 accordance with the requirements of section 11108-C and the supervised person is
18 hunting pursuant to section 11205, subsection 1-A.
19Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11205, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2
20 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
21 A. Hunt wild animals or wild birds on Sunday, except as provided in subsection 1-A;
22 or
23Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §11205, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
241-A. Hunting allowed on Sunday. A person who holds a valid junior hunting license
25 or a person 18 years of age who is enrolled in secondary school and holds a valid hunting
26 license may hunt wild animals or wild birds on Sunday subject to all other requirements,
27 laws and rules governing hunting.
28SUMMARY
29 This bill allows persons who hold a valid junior hunting license and persons under 18
30 years of age who hold a valid hunting license and are enrolled in secondary school to hunt
31 wild animals and wild birds on Sundays.
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