Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB680 Compare Versions

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

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE BILL 680
5	5	November 15, 2023 - Introduced by Senators FELZKOWSKI, NASS, ROYS and TESTIN,
6	6	cosponsored by Representatives SWEARINGEN, DALLMAN, PLUMER, SINICKI,
7	7	SNODGRASS, SPIROS and WITTKE. Referred to Committee on Financial
8	8	Institutions and Sporting Heritage.
9	9	AN ACT to amend 30.69 (3) (d); and to create 30.01 (1ag), 30.01 (1ah), 30.50 (13r),
10	10	30.50 (13v) and 30.69 (3) (cm) of the statutes; relating to: the regulation of
11	11	wakesurfing and wakeboarding.
12	12	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
13	13	This bill regulates wakesurfing and wakeboarding. The bill defines
14	14	wakesurfing as surfing a motorboat's wake, regardless of whether the person is being
15	15	pulled by a tow rope attached to the motorboat that is producing the wake or
16	16	operating a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake that is, or is intended to be,
17	17	surfed by another person. The bill defines wakeboarding as being towed on a board
18	18	with or without foot bindings by a motorboat across the vessel's wake or operating
19	19	a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake while towing a person on a board with
20	20	or without foot bindings.
21	21	Under current law, various regulations apply to water skiing, aquaplaning, “or
22	22	similar activity,” and under current law, wakesurfing and wakeboarding likely fall
23	23	under “aquaplaning” or “similar activity.” The bill explicitly provides that
24	24	“aquaplaning” includes wakesurfing and wakeboarding, and thereby applies the
25	25	same safety regulations that apply to water skiing and aquaplaning to wakesurfing
26	26	and wakeboarding. These regulations include requiring an observer or a wide-angle
27	27	mirror on the motorboat, restricting wakesurfing and wakeboarding to between
28	28	sunrise and sunset, prohibiting intoxicated wakesurfing and wakeboarding,
29	29	requiring a motorboat used for wakesurfing or wakeboarding to stay more than 100
30	30	feet away from any occupied anchored boat, personal watercraft, or marked
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35	35	SENATE BILL 680
36	36	swimming area or public boat landing, and prohibiting a person engaged in
37	37	wakesurfing or wakeboarding from being within 100 feet, or allowing a tow rope to
38	38	be within 100 feet, of a personal watercraft.
39	39	The bill also adds restrictions that apply specifically to wakeboarding and
40	40	wakesurfing. Current law prohibits the operation of a motorboat on a lake open to
41	41	public access that is 50 acres or less. The bill prohibits wakesurfing and
42	42	wakeboarding on a body of water of 50 acres or less or that is less than 400 feet wide,
43	43	regardless of public access. The bill prohibits wakesurfing or wakeboarding within
44	44	200 feet of a shoreline or dock, pier, boathouse, or other structure located completely
45	45	or partly on the water, though the bill allows a local ordinance to be less strict, but
46	46	not more strict, than this prohibition. The bill also requires that a person surfing a
47	47	wake or being towed on a board must wear a personal flotation device.
48	48	The bill applies the same penalties to wakesurfing and wakeboarding
49	49	violations that apply to water skiing violations under current law.
50	50	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
51	51	enact as follows:
52	52	SECTION 1. 30.01 (1ag) of the statutes is created to read:
53	53	30.01 (1ag) “Aquaplaning” includes wakesurfing and wakeboarding.
54	54	SECTION 2. 30.01 (1ah) of the statutes is created to read:
55	55	30.01 (1ah) “Aquaplane” includes the board upon which a person rides while
56	56	wakesurfing or wakeboarding.
57	57	SECTION 3. 30.50 (13r) of the statutes is created to read:
58	58	30.50 (13r) “Wakeboarding” means the activity of any of the following:
59	59	(a) Being towed on a board with or without foot bindings by a motorboat across
60	60	the motorboat's wake.
61	61	(b) Operating a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake while towing a
62	62	person on a board with or without foot bindings.
63	63	SECTION 4. 30.50 (13v) of the statutes is created to read:
64	64	30.50 (13v) “Wakesurfing” means the activity of any of the following:
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82	82	(a) Surfing a motorboat's wake, regardless of whether the person is being pulled
83	83	by a tow rope attached to the motorboat that is producing the wake.
84	84	(b) Operating a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake that is, or is
85	85	intended to be, surfed by a person.
86	86	SECTION 5. 30.69 (3) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:
87	87	30.69 (3) (cm) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., no person may engage in
88	88	wakesurfing or wakeboarding in any of the following circumstances:
89	89	a. On a body of water that is 50 acres or less.
90	90	b. On a portion of a body of water with a width, measured from the nearest
91	91	shoreline to the second nearest shoreline, of less than 400 feet.
92	92	c. Subject to subd. 3., within 200 feet of a shoreline or a dock, pier, boathouse,
93	93	or other structure located completely or partly on the body of water.
94	94	d. When surfing a wake or being towed on a board without wearing a personal
95	95	flotation device prescribed by federal regulations.
96	96	2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to duly authorized wakeboarding or
97	97	wakesurfing tournaments, competitions, exhibitions, or trials therefor, where
98	98	adequate lighting is provided.
99	99	3. In an ordinance enacted under s. 30.77, a city, village, town, public inland
100	100	lake protection and rehabilitation district, or town sanitary district may not be more
101	101	restrictive than the prohibition in subd. 1. c. but may provide an exemption from the
102	102	prohibition in subd. 1. c. or substitute a lesser number of feet.
103	103	SECTION 6. 30.69 (3) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
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127	127	SECTION 6 SENATE BILL 680
128	128	30.69 (3) (d) Paragraphs (a) to (c) (cm) do not apply to pickup or drop areas that
129	129	are marked with regulatory markers and that are open to operators of personal
130	130	watercraft and to persons and motorboats engaged in water skiing or similar activity.
131	131	(END)
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