| 1 | 1 | | 86R3566 AAF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Campbell S.B. No. 210 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the use of emergency engine cutoff switches on |
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| 8 | 8 | | motorboats. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 31, Parks and Wildlife |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 31.1071 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 31.1071. OPERATION OF MOTORBOAT WITH EMERGENCY ENGINE |
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| 13 | 13 | | CUTOFF SWITCH. (a) In this section, "engine cutoff switch" means |
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| 14 | 14 | | an emergency switch installed on a motorboat that: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) is designed to shut off the engine if: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (A) the motorboat operator using a lanyard |
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| 17 | 17 | | attachment activates the switch by falling overboard or otherwise |
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| 18 | 18 | | moving beyond the length of the lanyard; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (B) the motorboat operator or a passenger using a |
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| 20 | 20 | | wireless attachment activates the switch by falling overboard and |
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| 21 | 21 | | submerging a man-overboard transmitter; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) attaches: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) physically to the motorboat operator through |
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| 24 | 24 | | the use of a lanyard worn by the operator; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (B) wirelessly through the use of a |
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| 26 | 26 | | water-activated man-overboard transmitter worn by the motorboat |
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| 27 | 27 | | operator or any similarly equipped passenger on the motorboat. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) A motorboat operator may not operate a motorboat less |
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| 29 | 29 | | than 26 feet in length and equipped by the manufacturer with an |
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| 30 | 30 | | engine cutoff switch while the engine is running and the motorboat |
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| 31 | 31 | | is underway without first verifying that the switch is operational |
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| 32 | 32 | | and fully functional and: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) if using a lanyard attachment, properly attaching |
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| 34 | 34 | | the lanyard, as appropriate for the specific motorboat, to the |
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| 35 | 35 | | operator's body or to the clothing or personal flotation device |
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| 36 | 36 | | being worn by the operator; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) if using a wireless attachment, properly attaching |
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| 38 | 38 | | to each individual on the motorboat an operational man-overboard |
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| 39 | 39 | | transmitter. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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