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H1059 • 2025

An Act relative to fisheries conservation gear grant program

An Act relative to fisheries conservation gear grant program

Active

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

Sponsor
Jeffrey Rosario Turco
Last action
2025-11-12
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
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 relative to fisheries conservation gear grant program

An Act relative to fisheries conservation gear grant program By Representative Turco of Winthrop, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to fisheries conservation gear grant program By Representative Turco of Winthrop, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1059) of Jeffrey Rosario Turco that the Division of Marine Fisheries establish a program for commercial fishing gear.
  • Environment and Natural Resources.
  • Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

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

  1. 2025-11-12 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-08-28 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/16/2025 from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM in B-1

  3. 2025-07-31 Senate

    Senate concurred

  4. 2025-07-28 House

    Discharged to the committee on Agriculture and Fisheries

  5. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Environment and Natural Resources

  6. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to fisheries conservation gear grant program
By Representative Turco of Winthrop, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1059) of Jeffrey Rosario Turco that the Division of Marine Fisheries establish a program for commercial fishing gear. Environment and Natural Resources.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.1059

SECTION 1. There is hereby established, subject to appropriation, a Fisheries Conservation Gear Grant Program, the purpose of which shall be to provide funding assistance for the research, development, and acquisition of commercial fishing gear which limits or eliminates the mortality of juvenile or other fish not legally harvestable, or harm or mortality to protected species such as the Northern Right Whale, while maximizing the sustainability and productivity of an affected fishery. The program shall be developed and administered by the Division of Marine Fisheries, which shall conduct regular hearings at intervals of not less than once per year, to determine the size, type and scope of such grants necessary to maximize their effectiveness in achieving the goals set forth in this section. In administering the program, the division shall utilize eligibility criteria which, to the greatest extent possible, ensure equity based on geography, fishery type, gear type, and demographic factors, provided further that grants may be conditioned on matching resources and collaboration between commercial fishery participants and scientific or other institutions which conduct relevant research.

SECTION 2. Eligibility for grants from the program shall be restricted to fishing industry participants domiciled in Massachusetts and holding a valid state or federal commercial fisheries permit, and institutions of higher learning or research organizations located in the commonwealth.

SECTION 3.The division may, on behalf of the commonwealth, retain all or a portion of the ownership of any intellectual property developed through said program, including but not limited to patents, and registrations, provided, however, that any intellectual property so held shall be made available through licensure or other means under reasonable terms and conditions to those otherwise eligible for grant funding pursuant to this act, and for the purposes of this act.

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