House Bill 655: Coastal Fisheries Licensing Reforms

• Increases Standard Commercial Fishing License (SCFL) fees from $400 to $800 for residents and from $400 to $800 for nonresidents (minimum); increases Retired SCFL fees from $200 to $400 for residents and from $260 to $520 for nonresidents.

• Expands SCFL assignment eligibility to any qualified individual (previously limited to immediate family), while restricting transfer rights to immediate family or entities where the holder maintains majority control.

• Creates Vessel Commercial Fishing Endorsement (VCFE) allowing persons holding multiple SCFLs on January 1, 2024, to purchase endorsements for additional vessels at $750 each, with maximum endorsements capped at the number of SCFLs held.

• Establishes Heritage Standard Commercial Fishing License (HSCFL) as an inactive license option with $100 annual fee, reconvertible to SCFL by immediate family members within 10 years; introduces Commercial Fishing Crew License (CFCL) pathway to SCFL after three consecutive years with eligible income documentation.

• Repeals Recreational Commercial Gear License; appropriates $750,000 for derelict gear removal, aquaculture expansion, and fishery transition programs, plus $250,000 for buyback program study; increases Coastal Recreational Fishing License fees effective October 1, 2024.