Bill Text: NY A09806 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Enacts Brianna's Law; requires that operators of mechanically propelled vessels complete a boating safety course.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 72-32)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-19 - REFERRED TO RULES [A09806 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A09806-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Enacts Brianna's Law; requires that operators of mechanically propelled vessels complete a boating safety course.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 72-32)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-19 - REFERRED TO RULES [A09806 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A09806-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9806 IN ASSEMBLY February 9, 2018 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JEAN-PIERRE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development AN ACT to amend the navigation law, in relation to enacting Brianna's Law The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 "Brianna's Law". 3 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 49 of the navigation law, as amended by 4 by chapter 361 of the laws of 2013, paragraph a and subparagraph (i) of 5 paragraph b as amended by chapter 386 of the laws of 2017, is amended to 6 read as follows: 7 1. No person [born on or after May first, nineteen hundred ninety-six] 8 shall operate a mechanically propelled vessel on the navigable waters of 9 the state or any tidewaters bordering on or lying within the boundaries 10 of Nassau and Suffolk counties, unless[:11a.] the operator is at least ten years old and is the holder of a 12 boating safety certificate issued to him or her upon completion of a 13 boating safety course by the commissioner, the United States Power Squa- 14 drons, the United States coast guard auxiliary or the United States 15 sailing association for a powerboating course or courses which are 16 approved by the commissioner[; or17b. the operator is younger than eighteen years of age, and is accompa-18nied on the mechanically propelled vessel by at least one person who is19at least eighteen years of age and is20(i) the holder of a boating safety certificate issued to him or her by21the commissioner, the United States Power Squadrons, the United States22coast guard auxiliary or the United States sailing association for a23powerboating course or courses which are approved by the commissioner,24or25(ii) not required by this subdivision to hold a boating safety certif-26icate in order to operate a mechanically propelled vessel; or27c. the operator is eighteen years of age or older, is a person28required by this subdivision to hold a boating safety certificate inEXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14391-03-8A. 9806 2 1order to operate a mechanically propelled vessel, and is accompanied on2the mechanically propelled vessel by at least one person who is at least3eighteen years of age and the holder of a boating safety certificate; or4d. the operator is the owner of a recently purchased vessel and may5operate such vessel without the otherwise required boating safety6certificate for a period of time not to exceed one hundred twenty days7from the date of purchase]. 8 [e.] a. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to persons 9 who are: [born before April thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety-six;] 10 certified by the commissioner as boating safety instructors; members of 11 the United States Power Squadrons; members of the United States coast 12 guard auxiliary; holders of public vessel licenses pursuant to section 13 sixty-four of this article; police officers, peace officers, fire 14 personnel, rescue personnel or lifeguards, when any such person is 15 acting pursuant to assigned duties; or licensed to operate vessels by 16 the United States coast guard or the Canadian coast guard. The commis- 17 sioner, by rule or regulation, may provide for the exemption of addi- 18 tional persons not listed in this paragraph from the requirements of 19 this section. 20 [f.] b. The provisions of this subdivision shall supersede all local 21 laws or ordinances relating to requirements for boating safety certif- 22 icates to operate a mechanically propelled vessel. 23 c. For purposes of the section: 24 (i) "boating safety course" shall mean an in-classroom course of 25 instruction that has been approved by the commissioner pursuant to 26 sections seventy-five and seventy-nine of this article; and 27 (ii) "boating safety certificate" shall mean a document which cannot 28 be altered and which is provided to a person who successfully completes 29 a boating safety course. 30 § 3. Section 79 of the navigation law, as amended by chapter 361 of 31 the laws of 2013, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 386 of the laws of 32 2017, is amended to read as follows: 33 § 79. Courses of instruction. [1.] For the purpose of giving such 34 courses of instruction and awarding boating safety certificates, the 35 commissioner may designate as his or her agent any person the commis- 36 sioner deems qualified to act in such capacity, including, but not 37 limited to, certified instructors of the United States coast guard 38 auxiliary, United States power squadrons, the United States sailing 39 association for a powerboating course or courses which are approved by 40 the commissioner, American power boat association, boy scouts of Ameri- 41 ca, Red Cross and other organizations. No charge whatsoever shall be 42 made to any person less than eighteen years of age for the issuance of a 43 boating safety certificate. Persons less than eighteen years of age may 44 be charged a fee for instruction in boating safety, except that the 45 office may not charge a fee when providing such instruction to persons 46 less than eighteen years of age. 47 [2. The commissioner is authorized, at his or her discretion, to48develop a method for approving internet-based boating safety courses as49an appropriate and effective method for the administration and50completion of training in the safe operation of vessels, including51personal watercraft and specialty prop-craft, for the purposes of award-52ing a boating safety certificate pursuant to this section.] 53 § 4. Section 75 of the navigation law, as amended by chapter 361 of 54 the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows: 55 § 75. Educational program. In order to protect the public interest in 56 the prudent and equitable use of the waters of the state and enhance theA. 9806 3 1 enjoyment of pleasure boating and other sports thereon, the commissioner 2 shall initiate and put into effect a comprehensive in-classroom educa- 3 tional program designed to advance boating safety, which provides for 4 the training of all boat operators in the safe operation of vessels 5 including personal watercraft and specialty prop-craft. 6 § 5. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 7 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 8 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 9 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 10 on or before such effective date.