Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2084 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R8913 MP-D
2	2	By: Cortez H.B. No. 2084
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to personal flotation device requirements for
10	10	recreational vessels.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 31.066, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
13	13	amended to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 31.066. LIFE PRESERVING DEVICES. (a) A motorboat
15	15	being operated for a commercial purpose [, including a motorboat
16	16	carrying passengers for hire,] must carry at least one wearable
17	17	personal flotation device of the sort prescribed by the regulations
18	18	of the commandant of the Coast Guard for each person on board, so
19	19	placed as to be readily accessible.
20	20	(b) The operator of a motorboat less than 26 feet in length
21	21	that is being operated for a commercial purpose, while underway,
22	22	shall require every passenger under 13 years of age to wear a
23	23	wearable personal flotation device of the sort prescribed by the
24	24	regulations of the commandant of the Coast Guard. A life belt or
25	25	ring buoy does not satisfy this requirement.
26	26	(c) A person may not operate a [recreational] vessel 16 feet
27	27	or more in length for a recreational purpose unless the vessel is
28	28	equipped with[:
29	29	[(1) the number of wearable personal flotation devices
30	30	required under Subsection (a); and
31	31	[(2) additionally,] at least one immediately
32	32	accessible Type IV throwable flotation device of the sort
33	33	prescribed by the regulations of the commandant of the Coast Guard.
34	34	(d) The operator of a vessel being operated for a
35	35	recreational purpose and each passenger [A person under 13 years of
36	36	age] on board the [a] vessel [described by Section 31.073(a) or (b)]
37	37	must wear a wearable personal flotation device of the sort
38	38	prescribed by the commandant of the Coast Guard at all times while
39	39	the vessel is on the water [under way].
40	40	(e) An adult operator of a vessel described by Subsection
41	41	(d) [Section 31.073] may not permit a person under 13 years of age
42	42	to be on board the vessel while the vessel is on the water [under
43	43	way] if the person under 13 years of age is not wearing a wearable
44	44	personal flotation device required by Subsection (d).
45	45	SECTION 2. Section 31.127, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
46	46	amended by adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:
47	47	(h) A person who engages in conduct constituting an offense
48	48	under this section involving a violation of Sections 31.066 and
49	49	31.106(a)(1) may be prosecuted under this section for either
50	50	violation but not both.
51	51	SECTION 3. The change in law made this Act applies only to
52	52	an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
53	53	offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed
54	54	by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the
55	55	former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of
56	56	this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of
57	57	this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
58	58	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.