CHAPTER 536
H.P. 231 - L.D. 307
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13071-A, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5. Operating personal watercraft while 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age; boater education. The following provisions apply to operating a personal watercraft by a person 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age.
A. A person 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age may not operate a personal watercraft unless:
(1) That person is accompanied by a person 18 years of age or older who physically occupies the personal watercraft; or
(2) While operating the personal watercraft, that person possesses on that person identification showing proof of age and proof of successful completion of a boater safety education course approved by a national association of state boating law administrators, including but not limited to courses offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or other organizations approved by the commissioner for providing boater safety education courses. The commissioner shall establish a list of approved organizations for providing boater safety education courses and make that list readily available to the public.
B. The following penalties apply to violations of this subsection.
(1) A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 and not 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.
Sec. 2. Safety education program. The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Commissioner of Marine Resources shall work together and with other interested parties to study the feasibility of developing, implementing and funding a statewide boater safety education program. The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Commissioner of Marine Resources shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over marine resources matters, respectively, by February 1, 2007, their findings and recommendations on the development and implementation of a boater education safety program.
Sec. 3. Effective date. Section 1 takes effect January 1, 2007.
Effective August 23, 2006, unless otherwise indicated.
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