ENROLLED
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 9
BY REPRESENTATIVE BISHOP AND SENATOR CORTEZ
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to examine the possibility of
issuance of a "safe boater" decal to designate vessels that are certified as compliant
with the state and federal laws concerning safe boating.
WHEREAS, with fifteen thousand miles of tidal coastline, five thousand miles of
inland waterways, nearly three hundred fifty thousand boats registered in the state for
recreational use, and a nickname of the "Sportsman's Paradise", boats are everywhere in the
state of Louisiana and are used not only for fishing but for skiing, sailing, and other
recreational activities on our waterways; and
WHEREAS, there are numerous laws pertaining to safety equipment required to be
onboard any boat in use including requirements for personal flotation devices, mufflers,
lights, and fire extinguishers; and additional laws delineating safe operation of watercraft
including requirements for safe operation, restrictions on where boats can be operated, and
prohibitions on overloading boats, over powering boats, and riding on gunwales; and
requirements for boat identification numbers and display of those numbers; and
WHEREAS, the primary enforcement of these numerous laws is carried out largely
by the enforcement agents of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through random
boating safety compliance stops of boats on the water and stops that involve inspections of
the watercraft and verification of the presence of the required equipment and registration
materials; and
WHEREAS, although boating safety compliance stops are understandably necessary
to maintain the safety of the entire boating community, frequent stops of vessels that are
continually in compliance with the law diminish the enjoyment of the boating experience
and reduce the amount of time that the boater can be on the water enjoying himself; and
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WHEREAS, an outwardly visible and easily seen indication that a vessel has been
checked by agents of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and found to be in
compliance with the boating safety laws could minimize the number of random boating
safety compliance stops any one boater must endure and would allow wildlife and fisheries
agents to focus their attention on those boaters who do not have a positive safety compliance
record; and
WHEREAS, it is possible that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries could
implement a program whereby vessels are certified by the department to be in compliance
with the statutory and regulatory safe boating requirements and to have no violations of
statute or regulation on their record for a designated period of time, with the certification
being verified by a decal that is to be placed on the outside of the boat hull near the
identification number, thus enabling the boater to enjoy his boating activity without intrusion
and allowing the wildlife agent to be available to enforce other actions where necessary; and
WHEREAS, prior to implementation of such a program, the department would need
to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of such a program and what impact such a program
might have on the safety compliance and performance of the boating public in the state and
a report on those findings to the legislature would inform the legislature of the need for
legislation to enable a certified safe boater program.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to examine the possibility of
issuance of a "safe boater" decal to designate vessels that are certified as compliant with the
state and federal laws concerning safe boating and submit a report of findings no later than
March 1, 2018, to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the
Senate Committee on Natural Resources.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the
secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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