House Bill 468 proposes significant changes to Montana's watercraft laws, primarily by eliminating the requirement for a validation decal for motorboats, sailboats, and personal watercraft. The bill amends Section 23-2-511 to mandate only a valid registration decal on watercraft and repeals Section 23-2-536, which removes the Boating Advisory Council from the regulatory framework. This streamlining aims to simplify boating regulations while enhancing safety and accountability on Montana's waterways.

In addition to these changes, the bill updates regulations concerning boating accident reporting and personal flotation devices. It requires operators involved in accidents to provide their name, address, and vessel identification to affected parties and raises the property damage reporting threshold from $100 to $2,000. The bill also shifts the personal flotation device requirement to a general mandate for U.S. Coast Guard-approved devices. With the removal of the Boating Advisory Council, the department can now allocate funds for improving and maintaining boating facilities without needing council recommendations. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_1(1): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_1(2): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_1(3): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_1(4): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_1(5): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_1: 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(1): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(10): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(11): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(12): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(2): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(3): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(4): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(5): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(6): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(7): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(8): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X(9): 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533
HB0468_X: 23-2-502, 23-2-511, 23-2-512, 23-2-524, 23-2-525, 23-2-527, 23-2-531, 23-2-533