LD543 • 2025

An Act to Enhance Maine's Wildlife Conservation Efforts and Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage by Requiring Hunter Safety Education in Schools

Education

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Representative Donald Ardell
Last action: 2025-03-20
Official status: Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 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 Enhance Maine's Wildlife Conservation Efforts and Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage by Requiring Hunter Safety Education in Schools

An Act to Enhance Maine's Wildlife Conservation Efforts and Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage by Requiring Hunter Safety Education in Schools Sponsor: Representative Donald Ardell Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

What This Bill Does

An Act to Enhance Maine's Wildlife Conservation Efforts and Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage by Requiring Hunter Safety Education in Schools Sponsor: Representative Donald Ardell Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

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.

Bill History

2025-03-20 Senate
Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
2025-03-19 Committee
Reported Out; ONTP
2025-03-17 Committee
Work Session Reconsidered
2025-03-17 Committee
Voted; ONTP
2025-03-05 Committee
Work Session Held
2025-03-05 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2025-02-11 House
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
2025-02-11 Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Enhance Maine's Wildlife Conservation Efforts and Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage by Requiring Hunter Safety Education in Schools
Sponsor:
Representative Donald Ardell
Reference committee:
Education and Cultural Affairs
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 543
H.P. 362 House of Representatives, February 11, 2025
An Act to Enhance Maine's Wildlife Conservation Efforts and
Preserve Maine's Sporting Heritage by Requiring Hunter Safety
Education in Schools
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ARDELL of Monticello.
Cosponsored by Representatives: DAIGLE of Fort Kent, NUTTING of Oakland, PAUL of
Winterport, PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft, SWALLOW of Houlton, THORNE of Carmel,
Senators: BERNARD of Aroostook, HARRINGTON of York.

Page 1 - 132LR1042(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4710-D is enacted to read:
3§4710-D. Instruction in firearm hunter safety
41. Firearm hunter safety. The elements of a firearm hunter safety course must be
5 taught in all public and private schools, and successful completion of the course is required
6 for graduation from all secondary schools. The course, or its elements, must be taught no
7 later than grade 9 and must address the following topics:
8 A. Survival and first aid practices;
9 B. Landowner relations;
10 C. Hunter ethics;
11 D. The State's hunting laws;
12 E. Hands-on practice of safe firearms handling;
13 F. Hands-on instruction of map and compass usage and outdoor survival; and
14 G. Wildlife conservation and biology.
152. Successful completion; certificate. A student who successfully completes a
16 firearm hunter safety course under this section is entitled to a hunter safety certificate
17 provided by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and satisfies the requirement
18 in Title 12, section 11105.
19SUMMARY
20 This bill adds a requirement that the elements of a firearm hunter safety course must
21 be taught no later than grade 9 in all public and private schools in Maine. Successful
22 completion of the course will result in the issuance to the student of a hunter safety
23 certificate that satisfies the safety course requirement for obtaining an adult hunting license
24 in Maine.
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