HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 1 of 7
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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to vessel s; providing a short title; 2
amending s. 327.02, F.S.; providing that the term 3
"probable cause" does not include specified actions 4
relating to safety or marine sanitation equipment 5
inspections; amending s. 253.0346, F.S.; including 6
Clean Marine Manufacturers within the Clean Marine 7
Program; amending s. 327.47, F.S.; authorizing certain 8
grants to be awarded for the construction and 9
maintenance of publicly owned parking for boat -hauling 10
vehicles and trailers; amending s. 327.56, F.S.; 11
prohibiting certain officers from performing a vessel 12
stop or boarding a vessel without probable cause or 13
specified knowledge; requiring such officers to make 14
good faith attempts to not board vessels without the 15
owner or operator on board; providing that violations 16
of safety and marine sanitation equipment r equirements 17
are considered secondary offenses; removing provisions 18
authorizing certain officers to board a vessel under 19
certain circumstances; removing provisions relating to 20
the inspection of floating structures; amending s. 21
327.70, F.S.; requiring the Fl orida Fish and Wildlife 22
Commission, in coordination with the Department of 23
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, to create the 24
"Florida Freedom Boater" safety inspection decal for 25
HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 2 of 7
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
specified purposes; providing for the award of such 26
decal; providing requiremen ts for such decal; creating 27
s. 327.75, F.S.; providing a short title; providing 28
definitions; prohibiting specified entities from 29
restricting the use or sale of watercrafts based on 30
the energy source used by such watercrafts; providing 31
severability; providi ng an effective date. 32
33
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 34
35
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Boater Freedom 36
Act." 37
Section 2. Subsections (39) through (48) of section 38
327.02, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subs ections (40), 39
through (49), respectively, and a new subsection (39) is added 40
to that section, to read: 41
327.02 Definitions. —As used in this chapter and in chapter 42
328, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning, 43
the term: 44
(39) "Probable cause" does not include any action to make 45
a safety or marine sanitation equipment inspection. 46
Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 253.0346, Florida 47
Statutes, is amended to read: 48
253.0346 Lease of sovereignty submerged lands for marinas, 49
boatyards, mooring fields, and marine retailers. — 50
HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 3 of 7
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
(3) For a facility designated by the department as a Clean 51
Marina, Clean Boatyard, Clean Marine Manufacturer, or Clean 52
Marine Retailer under the Clean Marina Program: 53
(a) A discount of 10 percent on the annual lease fee shall 54
apply if the facility: 55
1. Actively maintains designation under the program. 56
2. Complies with the terms of the lease. 57
3. Does not change use during the term of the lease. 58
(b) Extended-term lease surcharges shall be waived if the 59
facility: 60
1. Actively maintains designation under the program. 61
2. Complies with the terms of the lease. 62
3. Does not change use during the term of the lease. 63
4. Is available to the public on a first -come, first-64
served basis. 65
(c) If the facility is in arrear s on lease fees or fails 66
to comply with paragraph (b), the facility is not eligible for 67
the discount or waiver under this subsection until arrears have 68
been paid and compliance with the program has been met. 69
Section 4. Section 327.47, Florida Statutes, is amended to 70
read: 71
327.47 Competitive grant programs. —The commission shall 72
develop and administer competitive grant programs funded with 73
moneys transferred pursuant to s. 206.606(1)(d). Grants may be 74
awarded for the construction and maintenance of publ icly owned 75
HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 4 of 7
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
boat ramps, parking for boat-hauling vehicles and trailers, 76
piers, and docks; boater education; deployment of manatee 77
technical avoidance technology; and economic development 78
initiatives that promote boating in the state. The commission 79
may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 120 to implement this 80
section. 81
Section 5. Section 327.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to 82
read: 83
327.56 Safety and marine sanitation equipment inspections; 84
probable cause; qualified.— 85
(1) An No officer may not shall board any vessel or 86
perform a vessel stop in this state unless the officer has 87
probable cause or knowledge to believe that a violation of this 88
chapter has occurred or is occurring. An officer shall to make a 89
good faith attempt to not board a vessel safety or marine 90
sanitation equipment inspection if the owner or operator is not 91
aboard. 92
(2) When the owner or operator is aboard, an officer may 93
board a vessel with consent or when the officer has probable 94
cause or knowledge to believe that a violation of a provision of 95
this chapter has occurred or is occurring. 96
(3) A violation of safety and marine sanitation equipment 97
requirements may only be considered a secondary offense, rather 98
than a primary offense An officer may board a vessel when the 99
operator refuses or i s unable to display the safety or marine 100
HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 5 of 7
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
sanitation equipment required by law, if requested to do so by a 101
law enforcement officer, or when the safety or marine sanitation 102
equipment to be inspected is permanently installed and is not 103
visible for inspection unless the officer boards the vessel . 104
(2) Inspection of floating structures for compliance with 105
this section shall be as provided in s. 403.091 . 106
Section 6. Subsection (2) of section 327.70, Florida 107
Statutes, is amended to read: 108
327.70 Enforcement o f this chapter and chapter 328. — 109
(2)(a)1. The commission, in coordination with the 110
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, shall create a 111
"Florida Freedom Boater" safety inspection decal for issue at 112
the time of registration or renewal signifying that the vessel 113
is deemed to have met the safety equipment carriage and use 114
requirements of this chapter. Upon demonstrated compliance with 115
the safety equipment carriage and use requirements of this 116
chapter at the time of registration or renewal during a safety 117
inspection initiated by a law enforcement officer , the operator 118
of a vessel shall be issued a "Florida Freedom Boater" safety 119
inspection decal signifying that the vessel is deemed to have 120
met the safety equipment carriage and use requireme nts of this 121
chapter at the time and location of such inspection . The 122
commission may designate by rule the timeframe for expiration 123
of, and the specific design for, the "Florida Freedom Boater" 124
safety inspection decal. However, a decal may not be valid for 125
HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 6 of 7
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
less than 1 calendar year or more than 5 years at the time of 126
issue and, at a minimum, must meet the standards specified in 127
this paragraph. All decals issued by the commission on or before 128
December 31, 2018, are no longer valid after that date. 129
2. The "Florida Freedom Boater" safety inspection decal , 130
if displayed, must be located within 6 inches of the inspected 131
vessel's properly displayed vessel registration decal. For 132
nonmotorized vessels that are not required to be registered, the 133
"Florida Freedom Boat er" safety inspection decal , if displayed, 134
must be located above the waterline on the forward half of the 135
port side of the vessel. 136
(b) If a vessel properly displays a valid safety 137
inspection decal created or approved by the division, a law 138
enforcement officer may not stop the vessel for the sole purpose 139
of inspecting the vessel for compliance with the safety 140
equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter unless 141
there is reasonable suspicion that a violation of a safety 142
equipment carriage or use r equirement has occurred or is 143
occurring. This subsection does not restrict a law enforcement 144
officer from stopping a vessel for any other lawful purpose when 145
the officer has probable cause or knowledge to believe that a 146
violation has occurred or is occurri ng. 147
Section 7. Section 327.75, Florida Statutes, is created to 148
read: 149
327.75 Watercraft Energy Source Freedom. — 150
HB 1001 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1001-00
Page 7 of 7
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
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 151
"Watercraft Energy Source Freedom Act." 152
(2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this sec tion, the 153
term: 154
(a) "Energy source" means any source of energy used to 155
power a watercraft, including, but not limited to, gasoline, 156
diesel fuel, electricity, hydrogen, and solar power. 157
(b) "Watercraft" means any vessel or craft designed for 158
navigation on water, including boats and personal watercraft. 159
(3) PROHIBITION ON RESTRICTIONS BASED ON ENERGY SOURCE. —160
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a state agency, 161
municipality, government entity, or county may not restrict the 162
use or sale of a wat ercraft based on the energy source used to 163
power the watercraft, including an energy source used for 164
propulsion or used for powering other functions of the 165
watercraft. 166
Section 8. If any provision of this act or its application 167
to any person or circumst ance is held invalid, the invalidity 168
shall not affect the remaining provisions or applications of 169
this act which can be given effect without the invalid provision 170
or application. 171
Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 172