HB 530 - SB 561
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 12, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Rebecca Chandler | Email: rebecca.chandler@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 530 - SB 561
SUMMARY OF BILL: Removes the requirement that the National Association of State
Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved exam be monitored, regardless of whether the
individual owns or rents the motorboat. Grants the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)
authority to set fees for issuing and replacing boating safety certificates, eliminating the fixed fee
amounts.
FISCAL IMPACT:
OTHER FISCAL IMPACT
Authorizing the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to set certification and replacement fees
could impact state revenue. The timing and extent of such changes cannot be reasonably
determined.
Assumptions:
• Tennessee Code Annotated § 69-9-226 requires anyone born after January 1, 1989, to
complete a monitored NASBLA approved boating safety exam administered by the state or
an approved representative and obtain a certificate from the TWRA. Certificates are issued
for a fixed fee of $10, with replacements costing $5.
• The proposed legislation removes the requirement that NASBLA approved boating exams
be monitored, expanding certification options. Currently, most NASBLA approved exams
are monitored by non-TWRA staff, such as local librarians. Removing the monitoring
requirement is not expected to have a significant impact on TWRA’s staffing requirements
or workload, nor is it expected to significantly increase the number of certificates issued.
• This legislation further eliminates the fixed $10 certificate fee and $5 replacement fee, giving
TWRA full authority to set these amounts.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-1-206(a)(7), all fees, and any adjustments to fees, shall be
expended solely for the administration and operation of TWRA programs and
responsibilities.
• Granting TWRA authority to set certification and replacement fees introduces the potential
for future adjustments. While TWRA has indicated that fees will remain at similar levels,
any future increases or decreases could impact state revenue and the agency’s decisions
regarding fee changes cannot be reasonably determined.
HB 530 - SB 561 2
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director