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*hb0947*
HOUSE BILL 947
M2 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr3556
CF SB 610
By: Delegates Sample–Hughes, Adams, Anderson, Arentz, Beauchamp, Hartman,
Hutchinson, Jacobs, Nawrocki , and Szeliga Szeliga, Boyce, Grammer,
Healey, and Holmes
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Natural Resources – Commercial Invasive Blue and Flathead 2
Catfish Finfish Trotline License Pilot Program – Alterations 3
FOR the purpose of altering the commercial blue and flathead catfish finfish trotline license 4
to allow a person to catch blue catfish with certain gear Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot 5
Program to include the Blue Catfish Gill Net Program; and generally relating to the 6
commercial blue and flathead catfish finfish trotline license Invasive Blue Catfish 7
Pilot Program. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Natural Resources Chapter 171 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 10
Section 4–701.2 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Chapter 172 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Chapter 171 of the Acts of 2025 18
2 HOUSE BILL 947
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That: 2
(a) The Department of Natural Resources, in coordination with the Invasive 3
Catfish Advisory Committee, shall establish the Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program. 4
(b) The purpose of the Pilot Progra m is to curb the spread of the invasive blue 5
catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. 6
(c) The Pilot Program consists of: 7
(1) the For–Hire/Commercial Blue Catfish Program; 8
(2) the Mid– and Lower–Bay Blue Catfish Trotline Program; [and] 9
(3) THE BLUE CATFISH GILL NET PROGRAM; AND 10
[(3)] (4) any other program that the Department determines to be 11
effective in curbing the spread of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. 12
(d) (1) Under the For –Hire/Commercial Blue Catfish P rogram, the 13
Department may: 14
(i) authorize eligible participants to run for –hire and commercial 15
fishing trips simultaneously; and 16
(ii) make any regulatory or administrative changes it believes will 17
increase the commercial harvest of blue catfish. 18
(2) (i) Under the Mid– and Lower–Bay Blue Catfish Trotline Program, 19
the Department shall authorize the use of finfish trotlines south of the William Preston 20
Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge to the maximum extent feasible to harvest blue catfish. 21
(ii) The Depa rtment may restrict the areas south of the William 22
Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge where finfish trotlines may be used to harvest blue 23
catfish based on potential bycatch, user conflicts, or other issues it considers relevant. 24
(e) In implementing the Pilot Program, the Department shall consider for the 25
harvest of blue catfish: 26
(1) authorizing the use of electrofishing; 27
(2) authorizing the use of finfish trotlines of up to 2,400 feet in length; 28
(3) eliminating any limits on the number of hooks used on a finfish trotline; 29
and 30
HOUSE BILL 947 3
(4) authorizing the use of hooks that are not corrodible. 1
(f) The Department shall: 2
(1) expand the use of practices determined to be effective under the Pilot 3
Program throughout the duration of the Pilot Program; and 4
(2) continue to implement and update the Pilot Program until the 5
termination date of this Act. 6
(g) On or before December 1, [2025] 2026, AND EACH DECEMBER 1 7
THEREAFTER, the Department shall report to the [Governor] SENATE COMMITTEE ON 8
EDUCATION, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT and THE HOUSE ENVIRONMENT 9
AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 10
Government Article, [the General Assembly ] on [its] THE ACTIVITIES OF TH E PILOT 11
PROGRAM DURING THE IM MEDIATELY PRECEDING YEAR, INCLUDING findings and 12
recommendations under the Pilot Program. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 14
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 15
been passed by a yea and nay vote support ed by three–fifths of all the members elected to 16
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 17
enacted. It shall remain effective through June 30, [2026] 2030, and, at the end of June 18
30, [2026] 2030, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 19
be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 20
Chapter 172 of the Acts of 2025 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That: 23
(a) The Department of Natural Resources, in coordination with the Invasive 24
Catfish Advisory Committee, shall establish the Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program. 25
(b) The purpose of the Pilot Program is to curb the spread of the invasive blue 26
catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. 27
(c) The Pilot Program consists of: 28
(1) the For–Hire/Commercial Blue Catfish Program; 29
(2) the Mid– and Lower–Bay Blue Catfish Trotline Program; [and] 30
(3) THE BLUE CATFISH GILL NET PROGRAM; AND 31
4 HOUSE BILL 947
[(3)] (4) any other program that the Department determines to be 1
effective in curbing the spread of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. 2
(d) (1) Under the For –Hire/Commercial Blue Catfish Program, the 3
Department may: 4
(i) authorize eligible participants to run for –hire and commercial 5
fishing trips simultaneously; and 6
(ii) make any regulatory or administrative changes it believes will 7
increase the commercial harvest of blue catfish. 8
(2) (i) Under the Mid– and Lower–Bay Blue Catfish Trotline Program, 9
the Department shall authorize the use of finfish trotlines south of the William Preston 10
Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge to the maximum extent feasible to harvest blue catfish. 11
(ii) The Department may restrict the areas south of the William 12
Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge where finfish trotlines may be used to harvest blue 13
catfish based on potential bycatch, user conflicts, or other issues it considers relevant. 14
(e) In implementing the Pilot Program, the Department shall consider for the 15
harvest of blue catfish: 16
(1) authorizing the use of electrofishing; 17
(2) authorizing the use of finfish trotlines of up to 2,400 feet in length; 18
(3) eliminating any limits on the number of hooks used on a finfish trotline; 19
and 20
(4) authorizing the use of hooks that are not corrodible. 21
(f) The Department shall: 22
(1) expand the use of practices determined to be effective under the Pilot 23
Program throughout the duration of the Pilot Program; and 24
(2) continue to implement and update the Pilot Program until the 25
termination date of this Act. 26
(g) On or before December 1, [2025] 2026, AND EACH DECEMBER 1 27
THEREAFTER, the Department shall report to the [Governor] SENATE COMMITTEE ON 28
EDUCATION, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT and THE HOUSE ENVIRONMENT 29
AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, in ac cordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 30
Government Article, [the General Assembly ] on [its] THE ACTIVITIES OF TH E PILOT 31
HOUSE BILL 947 5
PROGRAM DURING THE IM MEDIATELY PRECEDING YEAR, INCLUDING findings and 1
recommendations under the Pilot Program. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHE R ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 3
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 4
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 5
each of the two Houses of the Genera l Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 6
enacted. It shall remain effective through June 30, [2026] 2030, and, at the end of June 7
30, [2026] 2030, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 8
be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 9
Article – Natural Resources 10
4–701.2. 11
(a) There is a commercial blue and flathead catfish [finfish trotline] license. 12
(b) (1) The license authorizes the holder to catch for sale [blue and flathead] 13
IN THE TIDAL WATERS OF THE STATE: 14
(I) BLUE CATFISH USING , AS DEFINED IN DEPARTMENT 15
REGULATIONS: 16
1. A FINFISH TROTLINE; OR 17
2. A GILL NET WITH A MESH SIZE OF NOT MORE THAN 7 18
INCHES; AND 19
(II) FLATHEAD catfish [in the tidal waters of the S tate] using a 20
finfish trotline, as defined in Department regulations. 21
(2) A licensee shall fish in accordance with Department regulations. 22
(c) A person who wishes to obtain the license shall complete and submit an 23
application for the license to the Department or any person designated by the Department. 24
(d) An applicant for the license does not need to hold a tidal fish license under § 25
4–701 of this subtitle to be eligible for the license. 26
(e) The term of the license is 1 year from September 1 through August 31 the 27
following year. 28
(f) The annual license fee is $15. 29
(g) A licensee may not transfer a license issued under this section. 30
6 HOUSE BILL 947
(h) A licensee shall have a commercial blue and flathead catfish [finfish trotline] 1
license in the licensee’s possession when the licensee fishes under the license. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 3
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 4
been passed by a yea and nay vote suppor ted by three–fifths of all the members elected to 5
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 6
enacted. 7
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.