The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.501, subdivision 3, to enhance safety regulations for children aboard watercraft. It requires that personal flotation devices (life jackets) for children under ten years of age must include specific reflective material. Starting January 1, 2027, these devices must have at least 31 square inches of retroreflective material on the front, back, and, if reversible, on each side. The reflective material must be evenly distributed in the upper quadrants of the life jacket, close to the shoulder area.

Additionally, the bill removes a provision that previously allowed for a first violation of the life jacket requirement prior to May 1, 2006, to result only in a safety warning. It introduces a new clause stating that before May 1, 2028, a first violation of the new reflective material requirement will also not result in a penalty, but will be punishable only by a safety warning. This aims to encourage compliance with the new safety standards while providing a grace period for enforcement.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 86B.501