BILL NUMBER: S9250
SPONSOR: SERRANO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend chapter 138 of the laws of 1998, amending the navigation
law and the state finance law relating to the operation of personal
watercraft and specialty prop-craft, in relation to the effectiveness
thereof
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To establish an expiration of provisions of Navigation Law authorizing
the operation of certain leased personal watercraft without a boating
safety certificate.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 8 of Chapter 138 of the Laws of 1998 amending the Navigation Law
and the State Finance Law relating to the operation of personal water-
craft and specialty prop-craft, as amended by Chapter 366 of the laws of
2022 is amended to provide that section five of the act shall expire and
be deemed repealed January 1, 2027.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Section 5 (f) of Chapter 138 of the Laws of 1998 allows a person over
eighteen years of age to operate a personal watercraft or specialty
prop-craft without a certificate required pursuant to section forty-nine
of such article when such operation is restricted by the operator of a
livery, or the livery operator's designated agent, to a specified area,
no part of which shall be more than twenty-five hundred feet from the
livery location, or, if removed from the livery location, not more than
five hundred feet from the livery operator or agent assigned by the
livery operator to supervise such operation and such personal watercraft
or specialty prop-craft and or the personal flotation device of the
operator is clearly marked in such a manner as to be distinguishable by
the operator of such livery operator's designated agent within the
permitted areas of operation. This section of the original law is impor-
tant so that livery operators are still able to participate in the tour-
ism industry by being able to lease their equipment to people vacation-
ing in the area from New York and other states. However, having the law
sunset every two years gives the Legislature an opportunity to monitor
that such practice continues to be beneficial for the industry and
consumer.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022: S.8955(Serrano)/ A.9978 Jones - Chapter 366 of 2022
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.