81R10169 SLB-D
By: Harris S.B. No. 1746
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an interim study of recreational boating safety in
Texas.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. ADVISORY PANEL; STUDY. (a) The governor,
lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
shall each appoint three members to an advisory panel on
recreational boating safety.
(b) The panel appointed under Subsection (a) of this section
shall conduct a study assessing current conditions and making
recommendations regarding:
(1) boating safety generally and ways to improve
boating safety on lakes and rivers in this state;
(2) the effect of boater education on boating safety
and the boat rental, boat sales, and tourism industries;
(3) the effect of requiring every boat owner to carry
liability insurance on boating safety and the boat rental, boat
sales, and tourism industries;
(4) the effectiveness of law enforcement on lakes and
rivers and ways to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement,
including possible increases in the number of enforcement officers
and state or local responsibility for the increases; and
(5) any other issue the advisory panel finds relevant
to boating safety in this state.
(c) For each area of the study, the panel shall provide an
estimate of the costs to boaters and the boating and tourism
industries if the panel's recommendations were implemented.
(d) One member of the panel appointed by the governor shall
serve as the panel's presiding officer.
(e) The panel shall convene at the call of the presiding
officer.
(f) From the contingent expense fund of the senate and the
contingent expense fund of the house of representatives equally,
the members of the panel are entitled to reimbursement for expenses
incurred in carrying out the provisions of this Act in accordance
with the rules of the senate and house of representatives and the
policies of the senate and house committees on administration.
(g) Not later than December 31, 2010, the panel shall report
the results of the study conducted under this section to the Parks
and Wildlife Department, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
speaker of the house of representatives, and the members of the
committee in each house of the legislature with primary
jurisdiction over recreational boating.
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
1, 2009.