A bill for an act relating to the use of personal flotation devices on personal watercraft.(Formerly SF 108 .)

Senate

File

548

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

548

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

NATURAL

RESOURCES

AND

ENVIRONMENT

(SUCCESSOR

TO

SF

108)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

use

of

personal

flotation

devices

on

1

personal

watercraft.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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548

Section

1.

Section

462A.9,

subsection

6,

Code

2025,

is

1

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

6.

a.

Every

vessel

shall

carry

at

least

one

life

preserver,

3

life

belt,

ring

buoy

or

other

device,

of

the

sort

prescribed

4

by

the

rules

of

the

commission,

for

each

passenger,

so

placed

5

as

to

be

readily

accessible.

This

does

not

apply

to

a

vessel

6

which

that

is

a

racing

shell

used

in

the

sport

of

sculling

or

to

7

a

sailboard

while

used

for

windsurfing.

8

b.

A

person

shall

not

operate

a

personal

watercraft

on

the

9

waters

of

this

state

under

the

jurisdiction

of

the

commission

10

unless

every

person

on

board

the

personal

watercraft

is

wearing

11

a

type

I,

II,

III,

or

V

personal

flotation

device

that

is

12

approved

by

the

United

States

coast

guard,

which

may

include

a

13

device

known

as

a

“float

coat”

that

meets

this

standard,

while

14

the

personal

watercraft

is

under

way.

A

personal

flotation

15

device

described

in

this

paragraph

is

not

required

to

be

worn

16

by

a

passenger

of

a

personal

watercraft

if

the

person

satisfies

17

all

of

the

following:

18

(1)

The

person

is

at

least

eighteen

years

of

age.

19

(2)

The

personal

watercraft

is

moving

at

ten

miles

per

hour

20

or

less

or

is

traveling

in

a

no-wake

zone.

21

EXPLANATION

22

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

23

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

24

This

bill

relates

to

the

use

of

personal

flotation

devices

on

25

personal

watercraft.

The

bill

requires

all

persons

on

board

a

26

personal

watercraft

to

wear

a

personal

flotation

device.

The

27

bill

provides

an

exception

to

the

personal

flotation

device

28

requirement

when

the

person

is

at

least

18

years

of

age

and

the

29

personal

watercraft

is

traveling

at

10

miles

per

hour

or

less

30

or

is

in

a

no-wake

zone.

Under

current

administrative

rules,

31

all

operators

and

passengers

of

personal

watercraft

must

wear

a

32

specified

personal

flotation

device.

A

“personal

watercraft”

33

means

a

vessel,

less

than

16

feet

in

length,

which

is

propelled

34

by

a

water

jet

pump

or

similar

machinery

as

its

primary

source

35

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of

motor

propulsion

and

is

designed

to

be

operated

by

a

person

1

sitting,

standing,

or

kneeling

on

the

vessel,

rather

than

being

2

operated

by

a

person

sitting,

standing,

or

kneeling

inside

the

3

vessel.

A

person

in

violation

of

the

personal

flotation

device

4

requirement

is

guilty

of

a

simple

misdemeanor

punishable

by

a

5

scheduled

fine

of

$30.

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