AN ACT TO waive certain Commercial fishing license and vessel registration fees due Between April 1, 2021, and June 29, 2022.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding Article 14A of Chapter 113 of the General Statutes, for the period from April 1, 2021, through June 29, 2022, the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Quality shall renew or register without payment of the required fee all of the following permits or registrations that are active as of June 30, 2021:

(1)        Standard Commercial Fishing License issued pursuant to G.S. 113‑168.2.

(2)        Retired Standard Commercial Fishing License issued pursuant to G.S. 113‑168.3.

(3)        Shellfish license issued pursuant to G.S. 113‑169.2.

(4)        Commercial fishing vessel registration issued pursuant to G.S. 113‑168.6.

SECTION 2.  Any permittee or registration holder who has prepaid a fee that is waived under Section 1 of this act may request a refund for the total amount of the prepaid fee. No later than 30 days from the date it receives a request authorized under this section, the Department of Environmental Quality shall refund the total amount of the prepaid fee to the permittee or registration holder.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.