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HB0530 • 2026

Boats, Boating

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, relative to operator requirements for boating.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Eldridge, Hatcher
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 214
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how this will affect boat operators who need to get or replace their certificates, nor does it specify the exact revenue impact.

Changes to Boating Safety Requirements in Tennessee

This bill changes how boaters get safety certificates and sets limits on fees for these certificates and replacement cards.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement that boating safety exams be monitored by a specific agency.
  • Allows the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to set fees for boating safety certificates and replacement cards, but caps them at $15.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Boat operators in Tennessee who need safety certificates.
  • The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency which sets fees for these certificates and replacement cards.

Terms To Know

NASBLA
National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, an organization that approves boating safety exams.
TWRA
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the agency responsible for setting fees and issuing certificates.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact amount of state revenue impact from these changes is uncertain.
  • It's unclear how this will affect boaters who need to get or replace their safety certificates.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0530

Plain English: The amendment changes the maximum fees that can be charged for issuing and replacing boating operator cards in Tennessee.

  • Changes the maximum fee for issuing a boating operator card from an unspecified amount to $15.00.
  • Adds a new provision allowing the commission to set a separate fee of up to $15.00 for replacing lost or damaged boating operator cards.
  • The original text does not specify what the previous maximum fee was, so it's unclear how this change affects existing fees.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 214

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/15/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 214

  4. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 30, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0173)

  10. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/3/2025

  11. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 93, Nays 1, PNV 0

  14. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0173)

  15. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  16. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025

  17. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/27/2025

  18. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  19. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  20. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  21. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 29, Nays 3

  22. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/25/2025

  23. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  24. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/20/2025

  25. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/20/2025

  27. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  28. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/13/2025

  31. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar 3-13-2025

  32. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/10/2025

  33. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  35. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  36. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  37. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  38. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/5/2025

  39. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  40. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 2/25/2025

  41. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  42. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  43. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  44. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  45. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  46. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  47. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  48. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  49. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 561 FOR HOUSE BILL 530, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 561, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 provides that the fee set by the commission, and the separ
ate fee for issuance of a replacement card, must neither exceed $15.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 561
By Hatcher

HOUSE BILL 530
By Eldridge

HB0530
002467
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69,
Chapter 9, relative to operator requirements for
boating.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 69-9-226(a), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (1) and (2) and substituting the following:
(1) Has successfully completed a National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators (NASBLA) approved boating safety examination that is approved by the
agency; and
(2) Has received a certificate from the agency as evidence of successful
completion of an NASBLA approved boating safety examination that is approved by the
agency; or
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 69-9-226(c), is amended by deleting
subdivision (4) and substituting the following:
(4) Shall be issued for a fee set by the commission. The commission may also
set a separate fee for the issuance of a replacement card.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 69-9-226(d)(4)(A), is amended by
deleting the word "monitored".
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.