GA
Georgia House Bill HB556

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB556 Compare Versions

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1-25 LC 44 3123S
2-The House Committee on Game, Fish and Parks offers the following substitute to HB 556:
1+25 LC 44 3073
2+House Bill 556
3+By: Representatives Cox of the 28
4+th
5+, Williams of the 148
6+th
7+, McDonald III of the 26
8+th
9+, Gunter
10+of the 8
11+th
12+, and Powell of the 33
13+rd
14+
315 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
416 AN ACT
5-To amend Code Section 52-7-8.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1
17+To amend Code Section 52-7-8.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
18+1
619 operation of watercraft, identification, and operation by minors, so as to provide for boat2
7-rentals and education courses; to provide for a penalty; to provide for a definition; to provide3
20+liveries and education courses; to provide for a penalty; to provide for definitions; to provide3
821 for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4
922 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5
1023 SECTION 1.6
1124 Code Section 52-7-8.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to operation of7
1225 watercraft, identification, and operation by minors, is amended by revising subsection (g) as8
1326 follows:9
14-"(g)(1) As used in this subsection, the term 'course' means a rental education course as10
15-provided for in paragraph (3) of this subsection. No person shall rent, lease, or let for hire11
16-any vessel ten horsepower or more to any person under 16 years of age. On and after12
17-July 1, 2014, a person 16 years of age or older may rent or lease any vessel ten13
18-horsepower or more if such person has completed a boating education course approved14
19-by the department. This subsection shall not apply to any person licensed by the United15
20-States Coast Guard as a master of a vessel or a nonresident who has in his or her16
21-H. B. 556 (SUB)
22-- 1 - 25 LC 44 3123S
23-possession proof that he or she has completed a National Association of State Boating17
24-Law Administrators approved boater education course or equivalency examination from18
25-another state.19
26-(2) No person shall rent, lease, or let for hire any vessel ten horsepower or more to any20
27-person under 18 years of age. No person shall operate a vessel that has been rented,21
28-leased, or let for hire unless such person is 18 years of age or older and has completed a22
29-rental education course approved by the department. A person 18 years of age or older23
30-may rent, lease, or let for hire a vessel ten horsepower or more if such person has24
31-completed a rental education course approved by the department. No person may rent,25
32-lease, or let for hire a vessel ten horsepower or more to a person 18 years of age or older26
33-unless such person has completed a rental education course approved by the department27
34-and, if one or more additional persons 18 years or age or older will be present on such28
35-vessel, at least one additional person has completed such course.29
36-(3) Rental education courses provided pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection must30
37-be approved by the department and must result in the issuance of a rental education31
38-certificate upon successful completion of the course. Rental education certificates shall32
39-be effective for six months after the date of issuance and shall be valid anywhere in this33
40-state. Boat liveries shall use course materials approved by the department. At a34
41-minimum, a course must consist of a ten-minute operation familiarization video followed35
42-by a renter orientation checklist. Such video must address the following topics in order36
43-to be approved:37
44-(A) Operator responsibility, ethics, courtesy, and good judgment on the water;38
45-(B) Safety equipment;39
46-(C) Navigation rules;40
47-(D) Aids to navigation, and buoys and other waterway markers; and41
48-(E) Proper identification.42
49-H. B. 556 (SUB)
50-- 2 - 25 LC 44 3123S
51-(4) The requirement to complete a course does not apply to any person licensed by the43
52-United States Coast Guard as a master of a vessel, any person who has in his or her44
53-possession a valid boater education identification card showing that he or she has45
54-completed a boating education course approved by the department, or a person who has46
55-in his or her possession proof that he or she has completed a National Association of State47
56-Boating Law Administrators approved boater education course or equivalency48
57-examination from another state.49
58-(5) Any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."50
59-SECTION 2.51
60-All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.52
61-H. B. 556 (SUB)
27+"(g)(1) As used in this subsection, the term:
28+ No person shall rent, lease, or let for hire any10
29+vessel ten horsepower or more to any person under 16 years of age. On and after July 1,11
30+2014, a person 16 years of age or older may rent or lease any vessel ten horsepower or12
31+more if such person has completed a boating education course approved by the13
32+department. This subsection shall not apply to any person licensed by the United States14
33+Coast Guard as a master of a vessel or a nonresident who has in his or her possession15
34+proof that he or she has completed a National Association of State Boating Law16
35+H. B. 556
36+- 1 - 25 LC 44 3073
37+Administrators approved boater education course or equivalency examination from17
38+another state.18
39+(A) 'Boat livery' means a business which holds any vessel for renting, leasing, or19
40+chartering.20
41+(B) 'Course' means a rental education course as provided for in paragraph (3) of this21
42+subsection.22
43+(C) 'Person' means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or other23
44+legal entity.24
45+(2) A boat livery may not rent, lease, or let for hire any vessel ten horsepower or more25
46+to any person under 16 years of age. A boat livery may rent, lease, or let for hire a vessel26
47+ten horsepower or more to a person 16 years of age or older if such person, and one27
48+additional person 16 years of age or older who will be present on such vessel, has28
49+completed a rental education course approved by the department's Law Enforcement29
50+Division and if all persons 16 years of age or older who intend to operate such vessel30
51+have also completed a course.31
52+(3) Rental education courses provided by boat liveries pursuant to paragraph (2) of this32
53+subsection must be approved by the department's Law Enforcement Division and must33
54+result in the issuance of a rental education certificate by such division upon successful34
55+completion of the course. Rental education certificates shall be effective for six months35
56+after the date of issuance and shall be valid anywhere in this state. Boat liveries may use36
57+course materials either provided by or approved by the department. At a minimum, a37
58+course must consist of a ten-minute operation familiarization video followed by a renter38
59+orientation checklist. Such video must address the following topics in order to be39
60+approved:40
61+(A) Operator responsibility, ethics, courtesy, and good judgment on the water;41
62+(B) Safety equipment;42
63+(C) Navigation rules;43
64+H. B. 556
65+- 2 - 25 LC 44 3073
66+(D) Aids to navigation, and buoys and other waterway markers; and44
67+(E) Proper identification.45
68+(4) The requirement to complete a course does not apply to any person licensed by the46
69+United States Coast Guard as a master of a vessel, any person who has in his or her47
70+possession a valid boater education identification card showing that he or she has48
71+completed a boating education course approved by the department's Law Enforcement49
72+Division, or a nonresident who has in his or her possession proof that he or she has50
73+completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators approved boater51
74+education course or equivalency examination from another state.52
75+(5) Any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."53
76+SECTION 2.54
77+All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.55
78+H. B. 556
6279 - 3 -