BOAT TITLE AND REGISTRATION FEES (Section 306.030)

This act specifies that beginning July 1, 2019, the first 1 million dollars, rather than the first 2 million dollars, of boat registration and titling fees collected annually shall be deposited into general revenue, with the excess to be deposited in the water patrol division fund.

These provisions are identical to provisions in SCS/HCS/HB 1300 (2018), SS/SCS/HB 1355 (2018), SCS/HCS/HBs 2277 & 1983 (2018), HCS#2/SS#2/SCS/SB 1050 (2018), and to HB 192 (2017) and HB 1962 (2016).

PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES (Section 306.100)

The act specifies that violation of the requirements for boats to have personal flotation devices onboard shall be an infraction and shall be fined a maximum of $25. The act prohibits the imposition of court costs for violations of this provision.

This provision is identical to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 2116 (2018).

NO-WAKE ZONES (Section 306.125)

The act provides that violations of the statute requiring careful and prudent operation of vessels, including exceeding slow-no wake speed in a no wake zone, shall be an infraction and the operator shall be fined a maximum of $25. If the operator can not be identified, the owner of vessel shall be subject to the penalty. The Department of Public Safety shall promulgate rules necessary to implement a no wake zone for vessels 40 feet and over in coves with main junctures of less than 800 feet at the main channel. The act prohibits the imposition of court costs for violations of this provision.

These provisions are substantially similar to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 2116 (2018).

BOAT PASSENGERS (Section 306.126)

This act specifies that the requirement for boat passengers to ride only within adequate guards or railing when underway shall not apply to vessels propelled by propellers or jet motors when such vessels are operating on a stretch of waterway not created or widened by impoundment.

These provisions are identical to provisions in SCS/HCS/HB 1300 (2018), SS/SCS/HB 1355 (2018), HCS#2/SS#2/SCS/SB 1050 (2018), SCS/HCS/HBs 2277 & 1983 (2018), SS/SCS/SB 752 (2018), SCS/HCS/HB 2116 (2018), and similar to SB 65 (2017), HB 558 (2017), HB 2230 (2016), and HB 836 (2015).

ERIC VANDER WEERD