GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1550

Short Title:  Boating Safety Study/Funds.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Preston; Culpepper, Wainwright, and Watson.

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Referred to:  Rules, Calendar & Operations of the House.

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May 27, 1998

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION TO STUDY THE NEED FOR MANDATORY BOATING SAFETY EDUCATION FOR RECREATIONAL BOATERS AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE STUDY.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The Wildlife Resources Commission shall study the issue of boating safety education for recreational boaters and report its findings to the General Assembly by March 1, 1999.  The Commission shall provide an interim report on the progress of the study to the Legislative Research Commission's Watercraft Safety Study Committee by November 15, 1998.  The study should include an evaluation of the experiences of other states that have enacted mandatory boating safety education programs and shall address:
(1)	The need for mandatory boating safety education for recreational boaters in order to ensure that boaters are better educated on the safe operation of vessels and to lower the incidence of recreational boating accidents;
(2)	The types of watercraft or watercraft operation to which a boating safety education requirement should apply; specifically, whether education requirements should apply only to operators of personal watercraft or motorboats, or to all recreational boaters;
(3)	The appropriate population to which a boating safety education requirement should apply and, if the appropriate population is a broad one, whether some portions of the population should be "grandfathered”in;
(4)	The cost of a boating safety education  program, including any additional personnel or fee authorizations necessary in order to properly implement and administer such a program; and
(5)	The appropriate method for applying a boating safety education requirement to nonresidents of the State.
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Wildlife Resources Commission the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year to implement the study established in this act.
Section 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1998.