Bill Text: CT HB05257 | 2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Requiring Renters Of Vessels To Obtain Safe Boating Certificates.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-24 - Public Hearing 03/02 [HB05257 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2012-HB05257-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 5257
February Session, 2012		LCO No. 1186
		*01186_______ENV*
Referred to Committee on Environment
Introduced by:
(ENV)

AN ACT REQUIRING RENTERS OF VESSELS TO OBTAIN SAFE BOATING CERTIFICATES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 15-140e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) No resident of the state, person owning real property in the state or person owning a vessel in the state shall operate on the waters of the state a vessel which is required to be registered or numbered pursuant to this chapter unless such person has a valid vessel operator license issued by the United States Coast Guard or has obtained a safe boating certificate issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. No owner of a vessel shall knowingly authorize or permit a person who is less than sixteen years of age who is required by this section to obtain a safe boating certificate issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to operate such vessel on the waters of the state without a safe boating certificate, unless such person is under the direct onboard supervision of a person who is at least eighteen years of age who has been issued a safe boating certificate and who has held such certificate for at least two years. A safe boating certificate may be suspended or revoked, pursuant to section 15-132a, 15-133, 15-140l or 15-140n, and shall be valid for the life of the person to whom it is issued unless otherwise suspended or revoked.

(b) A safe boating certificate shall be issued under subsection (a) of this section to any applicant regardless of age who provides proof that such applicant has: (1) Successfully completed a course in safe boating operation approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, which [courses] may include [those] a course offered by the United States Power Squadrons, Coast Guard Auxiliary or [other organizations] another organization, or (2) successfully passed an equivalency examination testing knowledge of safe boating operation administered by the commissioner.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, any person who purchases a new or used vessel may, upon vessel registration, apply to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a temporary safe boating certificate which shall be valid for three months from the date of registration. No person shall be issued more than one temporary safe boating certificate.

(d) [Any] The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall apply to any person operating a vessel other than a personal watercraft, as defined in section 15-140j, which is rented [for a period of fourteen days or less] from a boat livery. [need not obtain a certificate during the rental period.] An owner, agent or employee of a boat livery shall furnish to each rental customer literature on safety and rules of navigation as supplied by the commissioner.

(e) Any person enrolled in a course in safe boating operation approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may operate a vessel without a safe boating certificate when under the direct onboard supervision of a boating instructor holding a valid instructor number issued by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

(f) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not less than sixty or more than two hundred fifty dollars for each such violation.

(g) Any course in safe boating operation approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, as described in subsection (b) of this section, shall include instruction on the proper means of: (1) Inspecting a vessel and trailers used for transporting such vessels for the presence of vegetation; and (2) properly disposing of such vegetation.

Sec. 2. Subsection (e) of section 15-150 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(e) [Neither the] No owner, [nor any] agent or employee of a boat livery shall permit an operator of [any] a vessel which is rented to depart from the boat livery without a safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation, if such operator is required by sections 15-140e, as amended by this act, and 15-140j to have a safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	from passage	15-140e
Sec. 2	from passage	15-150(e)

Statement of Purpose:

To protect the public and persons who rent vessels by requiring such persons to obtain safe boating certificates.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]