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An Act Regarding the Buying and Selling of Animal Parts
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§10-A  is enacted to read:
 
10-A.  Commercially.     "Commercially" means, with regard to the buying, selling, bartering or trading of wildlife parts, for the purpose of resale or profit or receiving any form of remuneration.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§20-A  is enacted to read:
 
20-A.  Finished wildlife products.     "Finished wildlife products" means tanned animal hides and finished taxidermy mounts, including full or partial body mounts or antlers mounted on a plaque.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§42-C  is enacted to read:
 
42-C.  Naturally shed.     "Naturally shed" means naturally dropped from the animal without any human manipulation.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11217, sub-§2, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §151 and affected by §422, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
 
2.  Exception.     This subsection provides for exceptions to the prohibitions against the purchase, sale, offer for sale or barter of wild animals and wild birds under this section.
 
A.  A person who has lawfully killed or trapped and registered a bear may sell, without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, teeth, claws not attached to the paws and gall bladder of that animal.
 
B.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a deer may sell, without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, antlers and feet of that animal.
 
C.  A person may sell the head, hide, feet and antlers of a domesticated deer and the meat of a domesticated deer for use as food only in accordance with Title 7, chapter 202.
 
D.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a moose may sell, without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, bones, antlers and feet of that animal.
 
E.  A person may buy or sell, without a hide dealer's license, naturally shed antlers from deer or moose.
 
F.  A person may buy or sell, without a taxidermy license or a hide dealer's license, legally obtained finished wildlife products, excluding federally protected wild animals and wild birds except in accordance with federal law.
 
G.  A person may buy, without a hide dealer's license, for that person's personal use and not for resale, only the teeth, claws not attached to paws, skull or head and hide of a bear; only the bones, feet and hide of a moose; the skull or head of a deer or moose, excluding antlers; and all other parts of wild animals and wild birds not prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under subsections 1 and 3.
 
H.  A person who possesses a valid hide dealer's license may lawfully buy, sell, barter and trade for profit the parts of wild animals under paragraphs A, B and D, lawfully obtained raw, untanned animal hides and any parts of wild animals and wild birds not prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under subsections 1 and 3.
 
Parts bought or sold under this subsection may not be attached to wild animals or wild birds that are prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under subsections 1 and 3. Bear gall bladders and raw, unfinished deer and moose antlers must be tagged or accompanied with documentation containing the name and address of the person who lawfully killed the animal.
 
As used in this subsection, "hide dealer's license" means a license issued pursuant to section 12954.
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §12954, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
 
1. License required.   Except as provided in subsection 66-A and section 12955, a person may not engage in any activity for which a hide dealer's license may be issued under subsection 2 without a valid hide dealer's license.
 
Each day a person violates this subsection, that person commits a Class E crime for which a minimum fine of $50$1,000 and an amount equal to twice the applicable license fee must be imposed.
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §12954, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
 
2.  Issuance.     The commissioner may issue a hide dealer's license permitting a person to commercially:
 
A.  Buy, sell, barter or trade any lawfully obtained bear gall bladders, raw unfinished moose antlers or raw unfinished deer antlers;
 
B.  Buy, sell, barter or trade any lawfully obtained raw, untanned animal hides or parts of wild animals and wild birds not prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under section 11217, subsections 1 and 3; and
 
C.  Aid or assist another in the activities described in paragraphs A and B.
 
Parts of wild animals and wild birds bought, sold, bartered or traded under this section may not be attached to wild animals or wild birds that are prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under section 11217, subsections 1 and 3.
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §12954, sub-§4-A, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §348 and affected by §422, is amended to read:
 
A. A licensee shall:
 
(1) Keep a true and complete record, in such form as is required by the commissioner, of allto include the names and addresses of persons buying or selling heads, hides and bear gall bladders purchased; and
 
(2) File that record with the commissioner on or before June 30th of each year.
Sec. 8. 12 MRSA §12954, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is repealed.
Sec. 9.  12 MRSA §12954, sub-§6-A  is enacted to read:
 
6-A.  Exceptions.     The following are exceptions to the license requirements in this section.
 
A.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a deer may sell, without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, antlers and feet of that animal.
 
B.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a moose may sell, without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, bones, antlers and feet of that animal.
 
C.  A person who has lawfully killed or trapped and registered a bear may sell, without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, teeth, claws not attached to the paws and gallbladder of that animal.
 
D.  A person who has lawfully killed or trapped a fur-bearing animal may sell, without a hide dealer's license, any part of that animal.
 
E.  A person may buy or sell, without a taxidermy license or a hide dealer's license, legally obtained finished wildlife products, including tanned animal hides and finished taxidermy mounts.
 
F.  A person may buy or sell, without a hide dealer's license, naturally shed antlers from deer and moose.
 
G.  A person may buy, without a hide dealer's license, for that person's own personal use and not for resale, only the teeth, claws not attached to paws, skull or head and hide of a bear; only the bones, feet and hide of a moose; the skull or head of a deer or moose, excluding antlers; and all other parts of wild animals and wild birds not prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under section 11217, subsections 1 and 3.
 
SUMMARY
This bill adds language to the law on buying and selling wild animals and wild birds that prohibits the purchase, sale, offer for sale or barter of any physical part of a wild animal or wild bird, and it adds certain parts that may be purchased or sold, such as naturally shed deer or moose antlers and finished wildlife products, including but not limited to tanned animal hides and taxidermy mounts.