relative to the purchase and sale of any interest in real property abutting public waters.

HB 1229 would require sellers and their agents to provide a "minimum standards" document to buyers before the sale of any property bordering public waters. The buyer must sign an acknowledgment confirming they have read and understood this document, which outlines requirements for water quality protection, and a copy of this signed form must be sent to the Department of Environmental Services within seven days. If a property owner violates these new disclosure rules along with existing shoreland laws, they face a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first offense and $2,000 for each subsequent offense. The bill also ensures that any future changes to shoreland regulations will not apply retroactively to properties already under these rules.