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.