Bill Text: IL SB2665 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Boat Registration and Safety Act. Requires operators of a watercraft towing a person or persons to display purple flags on their watercraft. Requires this flag to be displayed at the highest point of the boat's helm. Effective January 1, 2015.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2015-01-13 - Session Sine Die [SB2665 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SB2665-Introduced.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning transportation.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Boat Registration and Safety Act is amended | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | by changing Section 5-14 as follows:
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| 6 | (625 ILCS 45/5-14) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 315-9)
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| 7 | Sec. 5-14. Towing of Persons. Water Skiing.
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| 8 | A. No person may operate a motorboat that has in tow or is
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| 9 | otherwise
assisting a person on water skis, an aquaplane, or a | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | similar
contrivance in or
upon any waterway, unless the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | motorboat has a capacity of at
least 3 persons and is occupied | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | by at least 2
competent persons.
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| 13 | B. No person may operate a motorboat having in tow or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | otherwise be
assisting a person on water skis, aquaplane or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | similar contrivance from the
period of one-half hour after | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. This
paragraph B does | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | not apply to motorboats used in duly authorized water ski
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| 18 | tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials therefor | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | where adequate
lighting is provided.
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| 20 | C. All persons operating a motorboat having in tow or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | otherwise
assisting a person on water skis, aquaplane or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | similar contrivance, must be
careful and prudent in their | |||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | operation and keep at a reasonable distance
from persons and | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | property so as not to endanger the life or property of any
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| 2 | person.
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| 3 | D. No person may operate or manipulate any vessel, tow rope | ||||||
| 4 | or other
device by which the direction or location of water | ||||||
| 5 | skis, aquaplane, or
similar device may be affected or | ||||||
| 6 | controlled in such a way as to cause the
water skis, aquaplane, | ||||||
| 7 | or similar device, or any persons thereon to collide
with or | ||||||
| 8 | strike against any person or object, except ski jumps, buoys | ||||||
| 9 | and
like objects normally used in competitive or recreational | ||||||
| 10 | skiing.
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| 11 | E. The operator of any watercraft that is towing a person | ||||||
| 12 | or persons shall display on the watercraft a bright or | ||||||
| 13 | brilliant purple flag measuring not less than 12 inches per | ||||||
| 14 | side. The flag shall be displayed at the highest point of the | ||||||
| 15 | area surrounding the boat's helm as to be visible from all | ||||||
| 16 | directions, continuously, while the person or persons being | ||||||
| 17 | towed depart the boat in preparation for towing and until | ||||||
| 18 | reentry into the boat when the activity has ceased. Display of | ||||||
| 19 | the flag for purposes other than the activity described in this | ||||||
| 20 | Section is prohibited. | ||||||
| 21 | (Source: P.A. 90-412, eff. 1-1-98.)
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| 22 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | ||||||
| 23 | 1, 2015.
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