An Act To Require the Use of Personal Flotation Devices in Canoes
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13068-A, sub-§4, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §380 and affected by §422, is amended to read:
(1) Fails to comply with the same requirements pertaining to lights, life-saving devices, fire extinguishers and other safety equipment as required by federal laws and regulations on federal navigable waters, as promulgated under the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971, Public Law 92-75, as amended;
(2) Fails to comply with requirements pertaining to additional equipment not in conflict with federal navigation laws, which the commissioner may prescribe if there is a demonstrated need;
(3) Fails to wear a Coast Guard approved Type I, Type II or Type III personal flotation device while canoeing or kayaking on the Saco River between Hiram Dam and the Atlantic Ocean between January 1st and June 1st; or
(4) Fails to wear a Coast Guard approved Type I, Type II, Type III or Type V personal flotation device while operating a watercraft on:
(a) The Penobscot River, between the gorge and the head of Big Eddy; or
(b) The Kennebec River, between Harris Station and Turtle Island, at the foot of Black Brook Rapids.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §13068-A, sub-§17 is enacted to read:
(1) A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged.
(2) A person who violates this subsection after having been adjudicated as having committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year period commits a Class E crime.
summary
This bill requires the use of a Coast Guard approved Type I, Type II or Type III personal flotation device while canoeing.