Bill Text: TX HB337 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the use of emergency engine cutoff switches on motorboats; creating a criminal offense.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB337 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB337-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 337 | ||
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| relating to the use of emergency engine cutoff switches on | ||
| motorboats; creating a criminal offense. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 31, Parks and Wildlife | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 31.1071 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 31.1071. OPERATION OF MOTORBOAT WITH EMERGENCY ENGINE | ||
| CUTOFF SWITCH. (a) In this section, "engine cutoff switch" means | ||
| an emergency switch installed on a motorboat that: | ||
| (1) is designed to shut off the engine if: | ||
| (A) the motorboat operator using a lanyard | ||
| attachment activates the switch by falling overboard or otherwise | ||
| moving beyond the length of the lanyard; or | ||
| (B) the motorboat operator or a passenger using a | ||
| wireless attachment activates the switch by falling overboard and | ||
| submerging a man-overboard transmitter; and | ||
| (2) attaches: | ||
| (A) physically to the motorboat operator through | ||
| the use of a lanyard worn by the operator; or | ||
| (B) wirelessly through the use of a | ||
| water-activated man-overboard transmitter worn by the motorboat | ||
| operator or any similarly equipped passenger on the motorboat. | ||
| (b) A motorboat operator may not operate a motorboat less | ||
| than 26 feet in length and equipped by the manufacturer with an | ||
| engine cutoff switch while the motorboat is under way and moving at | ||
| greater than headway speed without first verifying that the switch | ||
| is operational and fully functional and properly attaching the | ||
| lanyard or wireless attachment, as appropriate for the specific | ||
| motorboat, to the operator's body or to the clothing or personal | ||
| flotation device being worn by the operator. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 31.127, Parks and Wildlife Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Subsection | ||
| (g) to read as follows: | ||
| (g) A person who operates a motorboat in violation of | ||
| Section 31.1071 commits an offense punishable by a fine of not more | ||
| than $200. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 337 was passed by the House on March | ||
| 26, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 115, Nays 31, 1 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 337 on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 115, Nays 26, | ||
| 2 present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 337 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 14, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays | ||
| 6. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
