Bill Text: NH SB431 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended

New Hampshire Senate Bill 431

Bill Title: Relative to wake surfing.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-30 - Sen. Ricciardi Moved Nonconcur with the House Amendment, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 05/30/2024; Senate Journal 16 [SB431 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2024-SB431-Amended.html

SB 431 - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

04/05/2024 1413s

2024 SESSION

24-2966

10/08

SENATE BILL 431

AN ACT relative to wake surfing.

SPONSORS: Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Gendreau, Dist 1; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Rep. J. MacDonald, Carr. 6; Rep. Rombeau, Hills. 2; Rep. Soucy, Merr. 21; Rep. Coker, Belk. 2; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4

COMMITTEE: Transportation

-----------------------------------------------------------------

ANALYSIS

This bill adds restrictions for engaging in wake surfing on a public body of water.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

04/05/2024 1413s 24-2966

10/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT relative to wake surfing.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Motorboats Towing Water Skiers and Aquaplanes. Amend RSA 270-D:3, VII to read as follows:

VII. No person shall engage in wake surfing on a body of water that is less than 50 acres in size.

VIII. No person shall engage in wake surfing within 200 feet of a shoreline, dock, pier, boathouse, or other boats or on a portion of a body of water with a width, measured from the nearest shoreline to the second nearest shoreline, of less than 400 feet.

IX. No person shall operate a motorboat propelled by an outboard motor, inboard/outboard motor, or water jet while a person is wake surfing in or on the wake of such motorboat, unless the propulsion system is designed by the manufacturer for that activity.

X. The department of safety shall promote best practices in wake surfing through boater safety education, including educating the operator of the motorboat to direct surf waves away from shorelines as is appropriate for the safety of the surfer and the operating conditions.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2025.