Whereas, the 90-day period will end after the period during which shellfish dealer licenses are valid; and

Whereas, unless enacted as an emergency measure, the new category of license authorized in this legislation will be unavailable to holders of commercial shellfish licenses until 2007; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6851-A is enacted to read:

§6851-A.__Limited wholesale shellfish harvester's license

1.__License required.__A person may not engage in the activities authorized under this section without a current commercial shellfish license issued under section 6601.

2.__Licensed activity.__A holder of a limited wholesale shellfish harvester's license may sell in the wholesale trade only shellfish the holder has taken.

3.__License limited.__A limited wholesale shellfish harvester's license authorizes activities under this section at only one establishment and with only one vehicle.

4.__Fee.__The fee for a limited wholesale shellfish harvester's license is $192.50.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6856, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 248, §11, is further amended to read:

1. Shellfish sanitation certificate. A person may not undertake the processing, buying, selling, shipping, transporting or shucking of shellfish or whole scallops without a shellfish sanitation certificate unless authorized under section 6701 or 6702. The commissioner may issue a shellfish sanitation certificate to a wholesale seafood license holder, a limited wholesale shellfish harvester's license holder or a shellfish transportation license holder that authorizes the holder to