SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1974        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1252

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to provide economic security for fishing industry participants.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

2/22/2021

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

2/26/2021

Susan L. Moran

Plymouth and Barnstable

2/26/2021

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

3/1/2021

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

3/1/2021

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

3/1/2021

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

3/2/2021

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

3/16/2021


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1974        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1252

By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1252) of Bruce E. Tarr, Susan Williams Gifford, David F. DeCoste, Susan L. Moran and other members of the General Court for legislation to provide economic security for fishing industry participants.  Labor and Workforce Development.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act to provide economic security for fishing industry participants.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Division of Marine Fisheries , is hereby authorized and directed to analyze the economic disruption and harm to the financial stability of those engaged in commercial fishing in the Commonwealth that results from the inability to earn income as a result of state and federal regulatory actions including but not limited to area closures, gear restrictions, and time limitations, and to develop a plan to mitigate such harm through mechanisms such as modifications to the state's unemployment insurance system to take into account the particular circumstances resulting from such regulatory actions.

SECTION 2. In carrying out the provisions of section 1 the Secretary shall take into account the economic hardship occurring as a result of seasonal closures in the commercial lobster fishery for the purpose of preventing harm to North Atlantic Right Whales, in addition to other seasonal closures presently in place or which may occur in the future.

SECTION 3. The Secretary shall file any plan developed pursuant to this act, together with any legislative recommendations to carry it out, with the clerks of the House and Senate not later than April 1, 2022.