| 9 | 9 | | Page 1 of 2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A bill to be entitled 1 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to boating and vessel safety; 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | providing a short title; amending s. 327.395, F.S.; 3 |
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| 17 | 17 | | requiring certain boating safety education courses and 4 |
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| 18 | 18 | | temporary certificate examinations to include 5 |
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| 19 | 19 | | specified components; directing the Fish and Wildlife 6 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Conservation Commission to include such components in 7 |
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| 21 | 21 | | boating safety education campaigns and certain 8 |
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| 22 | 22 | | educational materials; amending s. 327.50, F.S.; 9 |
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| 23 | 23 | | requiring operators of vessels used in the instruction 10 |
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| 24 | 24 | | of water sports and activities to use engine cutoff 11 |
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| 25 | 25 | | switches and wear operative links to the switches 12 |
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| 26 | 26 | | under certain conditions; providing an effective date. 13 |
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| 27 | 27 | | 14 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15 |
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| 29 | 29 | | 16 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Section 1. This act may be cited as "Ethan's Law. " 17 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 327.395, Florida 18 |
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| 32 | 32 | | Statutes, is amended to read: 19 |
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| 33 | 33 | | 327.395 Boating safety education. — 20 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) A commission-approved boating safety education course 21 |
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| 35 | 35 | | or temporary certificate examination developed or approved by 22 |
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| 36 | 36 | | the commission must include components a component regarding: 23 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (a) Diving vessels, awareness of divers in the water, 24 |
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| 38 | 38 | | divers-down warning devices, and the requirements of s. 327.331. 25 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Page 2 of 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | (b) The danger associated with: 26 |
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| 52 | 52 | | 1. A passenger riding on a seat back, gunwale, transom, 27 |
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| 53 | 53 | | bow, motor cover, or any other vessel area not designed and 28 |
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| 54 | 54 | | designated by the manufacturer for seating. 29 |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2. A passenger falling overboard. 30 |
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| 56 | 56 | | 3. Operating a vessel with a person in the water near the 31 |
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| 57 | 57 | | vessel. 32 |
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| 58 | 58 | | 4. Starting a vessel with the engine in gear. 33 |
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| 59 | 59 | | 5. Leaving the vessel running when a passenger is boarding 34 |
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| 60 | 60 | | or disembarking. 35 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (c) The proper use and lifesaving benefits of an engine 36 |
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| 62 | 62 | | cutoff switch for motorboats and personal watercraft. 37 |
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| 63 | 63 | | 38 |
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| 64 | 64 | | The commission must include the components under this subsection 39 |
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| 65 | 65 | | in boating safety education campaigns and in educational 40 |
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| 66 | 66 | | materials produced by the commission, as appropriate. 41 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Section 3. Subsection (4) is added to section 327.50, 42 |
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| 68 | 68 | | Florida Statutes, to read: 43 |
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| 69 | 69 | | 327.50 Vessel safety regulations; equipment and lighting 44 |
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| 70 | 70 | | requirements.— 45 |
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| 71 | 71 | | (4) The operator of a vessel used in the instruction of a 46 |
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| 72 | 72 | | water sport or activity must use an engine cutoff switch and 47 |
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| 73 | 73 | | wear an operative link to the switch when a person participating 48 |
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| 74 | 74 | | in the water sport or activity is in the water. 49 |
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