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IA SF108
IA SF108A bill for an act relating to the use of personal flotation devices on personal watercraft.(See SF 548.)
summary
Introduced
01/22/2025
01/22/2025
In Committee
01/22/2025
01/22/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
91st General Assembly
Bill Summary
This bill relates to the use of personal flotation devices on personal watercraft. The bill requires all persons on board a personal watercraft to wear a personal flotation device. The bill provides an exception to the personal flotation device requirement when the person is at least 18 years of age and the personal watercraft is traveling at 10 miles per hour or less or is in a no-wake zone. Under current administrative rules, all operators and passengers of personal watercraft must wear a specified personal flotation device. A “personal watercraft” means a vessel, less than 16 feet in length, which is propelled by a water jet pump or similar machinery as its primary source of motor propulsion and is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel, rather than being operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling inside the vessel. A person in violation of the personal flotation device requirement is guilty of a simple misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled fine of $30.
AI Summary
This bill modifies Iowa's boating safety regulations by requiring all persons on a personal watercraft to wear a personal flotation device (PFD) approved by the United States Coast Guard, with an exception for passengers who are at least 18 years old when the watercraft is moving at 10 miles per hour or less or is in a no-wake zone. A personal watercraft is defined as a vessel less than 16 feet long that is propelled by a water jet pump and designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel. The bill amends existing law to specify that the PFD can include a "float coat" that meets the Coast Guard's standards, and violations of this requirement will be considered a simple misdemeanor punishable by a $30 fine. This change aims to enhance safety for individuals using personal watercraft by ensuring they have appropriate flotation devices readily available and worn while the vessel is in motion.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 548. S.J. 439. (on 03/06/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=SF108 |
| BillText | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/SF108.html |
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