Natural Resources - Striped Bass Recreational Seasons and Fisheries Regulations

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0755*

SENATE BILL 755
M2, P3 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr3487

By: Senators Muse and Hershey
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Natural Resources – Striped Bass Recreational Seasons and Fisheries 2
Regulations 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the Department of Natural Resources from establishing a 4
recreational catch and release season for striped bass; requiring the Department to 5
establish certain recreational and charter boat summer and fall striped bass seasons 6
and a trophy se ason for striped bass; requiring the Department to complete and 7
submit to certain State entities for review an economic impact statement for any 8
proposed fisheries regulations identified by the Department as having a major 9
impact on interested stakeholders; and generally relating to recreational fishing 10
seasons for striped bass and fisheries regulations. 11

BY adding to 12
Article – Natural Resources 13
Section 4–731.1 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – State Government 18
Section 10–110(a), (b), and (c)(1)(i), (2)(i), and (3) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

BY adding to 22
Article – State Government 23
Section 10–110(b–1) 24
Annotated Code of Maryland 25
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 26

2 SENATE BILL 755

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – Natural Resources 3

4–731.1. 4

(A) THE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT ESTABLISH A CATCH AND RELEASE SEASON 5
FOR STRIPED BASS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS ROCKFISH. 6

(B) (1) THE DEPARTMENT ANNUALLY SHALL ESTABLISH A 7
RECREATIONAL AND CHA RTER BOAT SUMMER AND FALL STRIPED BASS SE ASON 8
BEGINNING MAY 16 EACH YEAR AND ENDING DECEMBER 10 EACH YEAR. 9

(2) FOR THE RECREATIONAL SUMMER AND FALL STRI PED BASS 10
SEASON, A PERSON: 11

(I) MAY NOT CATCH OR POSS ESS MORE THAN ONE ST RIPED 12
BASS PER DAY; AND 13

(II) MAY USE AS BAIT SHAD OR ARTIFICIAL LURES DESIGNED TO 14
MIMIC SHAD THAT ARE OF ANY SIZE. 15

(3) FOR THE CHARTER BOAT SUMMER AND FALL STRI PED BASS 16
SEASON: 17

(I) A PERSON MAY NOT CATCH OR POSSESS MORE THAN TWO 18
STRIPED BASS PER DAY; 19

(II) NOT MORE THAN 12 LINES PER BOAT MAY BE IN THE WATER 20
AT ANY ONE TIME; 21

(III) PLANER BOARDS MAY NOT EXTEND MORE THAN 75 FEET ON 22
EITHER SIDE OF THE BOAT; AND 23

(IV) NOT MORE THAN 75 SPOT FISH PER PERSON MAY BE ON 24
BOARD THE BOAT FOR BAIT. 25

(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT ANNUALLY SHALL ESTABLISH A TR OPHY 26
SEASON FOR STRIPED BASS. 27

(2) (I) THE 2026 TROPHY SEASON FOR CA TCHING STRIPED BASS 28
IS: 29

SENATE BILL 755 3

1. FROM APRIL 17 THROUGH APRIL 19, INCLUSIVE; 1

2. FROM APRIL 24 THROUGH APRIL 26, INCLUSIVE; AND 2

3. FROM MAY 1 THROUGH MAY 3, INCLUSIVE. 3

(II) IN 2027 AND EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, THE DEPARTMENT 4
SHALL ESTABLISH A TROPHY SEASON FOR STRIPED BASS THAT CONSISTS OF: 5

1. TWO PERIODS OF 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN LATE 6
APRIL; AND 7

2. ONE PERIOD OF 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN LATE APRIL 8
OR EARLY MAY. 9

(3) DURING TROPHY SEASON, A PERSON MAY NOT CATCH OR POSSESS 10
STRIPED BASS THAT ARE LESS THAN 28 INCHES IN LENGTH. 11

(4) DURING THE TROPHY SEASON, A PERSON MAY NOT USE AS BAIT 12
SHAD OR ARTIFICIAL LURES DESIGNED TO MI MIC SHAD THAT ARE LESS THAN 9 13
INCHES LONG OR HAVE MORE THAN ONE TRAILER HOOK. 14

Article – State Government 15

10–110. 16

(a) Except for subsection (c) of this section, this sect ion does not apply to a 17
regulation adopted under § 10–111(b) of this subtitle. 18

(b) At least 15 days before the date a proposed regulation is submitted to the 19
Maryland Register for publication under § 10 –112 of this subtitle, the promulgating unit 20
shall s ubmit to the State Children’s Environmental Health and Protection Advisory 21
Council established under § 13 –1503 of the Health – General Article for review any 22
proposed regulations identified by the promulgating unit as having an impact on 23
environmental hazards affecting the health of children. 24

(B–1) AT LEAST 15 DAYS BEFORE THE DATE A PROPOSED REGULATIO N 25
GOVERNING FISHERIES IS SUBMITTED TO THE MARYLAND REGISTER FOR 26
PUBLICATION UNDER § 10–112 OF THIS SUBTITLE, THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL 27
RESOURCES SHALL COMPLETE AND SUBMIT TO THE COMMITTEE, THE 28
DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR REVIEW 29
AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT FOR ANY PROPOSED REGULATIONS IDENTIFIED 30
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AS HAVING A MAJOR IMPACT ON 31
INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS. 32

4 SENATE BILL 755

(c) (1) (i) At least 15 days before the date a proposed regulation is 1
submitted to the Maryland Register for publication under § 10–112 of this subtitle, and in 2
accordance with § 10 –111.2(c) of this subtitle, the promulgating unit shall s ubmit the 3
proposed regulation to the Committee, the Department of Legislative Services, and the 4
Administrator. 5

(2) (i) If the proposed regulation, either in whole or in part, submitted 6
to the Committee and the Department of Legislative Services in accordance with paragraph 7
(1) of this subsection includes an increase or decrease in a fee for a license to practice any 8
business activity, business or health occupation, or business or health profession licensed 9
or otherwise regulated under State law, the promulgating unit shall include clearly written 10
explanatory reasons that justify the increase or decrease in the fee. 11

(3) If the promulgating unit estimates that the proposed regulation will 12
have a significant small business impact, the unit shall: 13

(i) establish an electronic registry that allows any small business or 14
other interested party to register to receive an electronic notification when the proposed 15
regulation or the scope of the proposed regulation is posted on the unit’s website in 16
accordance with item (ii) of this paragraph; 17

(ii) post the proposed regulation or the scope of the proposed 18
regulation on the unit’s website at least 15 days before the date the proposed regulation is 19
submitted to the Committee and the Department of Legislative Services in accordance with 20
this section and provide an opportunity for comments on the unit’s proposal; 21

(iii) on posting a proposed regulation or the scope of the proposed 22
regulation on the unit’s website in accordance with item (ii) of this paragraph, notify the 23
parties registered in the electronic registry established under item (i) of this paragraph 24
that the proposed regulation or the scope of the proposed regulation has been posted; and 25

(iv) prepare a compliance guide written in clear, plain Engl ish to 26
assist small businesses in complying with the proposed regulation, update the guide as 27
needed until the regulation is final, and post the guide on the unit’s website. 28

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 29
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 30
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 31
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 32
enacted. 33