AN ACT CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF CERTAIN VESSELS REGISTERED WITH MARINE DEALER REGISTRATION NUMBERS.

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

Section 1. Section 4 of public act 10-124 is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 268 of the general statutes, [for two years from the effective date of this section,] any person who holds a current passenger-for-hire license issued by the United States Coast Guard and a current charter boat registration issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to section 26-142a of the general statutes shall not be prohibited from operating a vessel registered with a marine [dealer's] dealer registration number issued pursuant to section 15-145 of the general statutes, provided any such person [has operated] operates a recreational charter fishing guide service using a vessel registered with such a marine [dealer's] dealer registration number in connection with such guide service. [for not less than five of the ten years preceding the effective date of this section.]

(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall not revoke a marine [dealer's] dealer registration number issued pursuant to section 15-145 of the general statutes for any vessel used in compliance with subsection (a) of this section.

Statement of Purpose:

To authorize persons holding United States Coast Guard passenger-for-hire licenses and charter boat registrations to operate vessels registered with marine dealer registration numbers, subject to certain conditions.

[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.]