Bill > S0164

Introduced Session

An act relating to vessel accountability; amending s. 327.02, F.S.; deleting the term “owner”; defining the term “vessel owner”; reenacting and amending s. 327.4107, F.S.; providing a penalty for a person anchoring, mooring, or allowing certain vessels to occupy the waters of this state if an officer of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or a law enforcement agency finds that specified conditions exist; revising the manner and timeframe for vessel owners or operators to demonstrate a vessel’s effective means of propulsion for safe navigation; deleting provisions providing a penalty for a person who anchors or moors certain vessels on the waters of this state; creating s. 327.4111, F.S.; defining the term “long-term anchoring”; requiring the commission to issue, at no cost, a permit for the long-term anchoring of a vessel which includes specified information; providing construction; providing a penalty for long-term anchoring without a permit; providing applicability; providing that a permit is not required under certain circumstances; requiring the commission to use an electronic application and permitting system; clarifying that certain provisions do not supersede any other anchoring limitations established pursuant to law; authorizing the commission to adopt rules; amending s. 327.70, F.S.; authorizing the enforcement of certain noncriminal violations by citation mailed or issued to the owner of certain vessels; amending s. 327.73, F.S.; requiring that a vessel subject to a specified number of violations within a 24-month period which result in certain dispositions be declared a public nuisance; providing that failure to appear at a hearing or failure to pay civil penalties constitutes a certain disposition; providing penalties related to long-term anchoring; requiring that a vessel subject to a specified number of violations relating to long-term anchoring within a 24-month period which result in certain dispositions be declared a public nuisance; providing that failure to appear at a hearing or failure to pay a certain civil penalty constitutes a disposition other than acquittal or dismissal; providing an exception; authorizing certain persons to relocate, remove, or cause to be relocated or removed certain vessels; requiring that certain persons be held harmless for all damages to a vessel resulting from such relocation or removal; providing exceptions; amending s. 705.103, F.S.; revising the notice placed upon a derelict vessel declared a public nuisance which is present upon the waters of this state; deleting a provision specifying that a party responsible for a derelict vessel or a vessel declared a public nuisance has the right to a certain hearing; deleting provisions assigning liability to a party deemed legally responsible for a derelict vessel or vessel declared a public nuisance; deleting provisions allowing a law enforcement officer or a representative of a law enforcement agency or other governmental entity to notify a party deemed legally responsible for a derelict vessel or a vessel declared a public nuisance of the final disposition of the derelict vessel; reenacting and amending s. 823.11, F.S.; prohibiting a vessel owner from leaving a derelict vessel upon the waters of this state; deleting provisions related to a party responsible for a derelict vessel; providing prima facie evidence of ownership or control of a derelict vessel left upon the waters of this state; providing a means of exonerating an owner of a vessel or derelict vessel of responsibility if such owner attempts to transfer ownership or control of such vessel; providing that the owner of a derelict vessel is exclusively responsible for all costs associated with the relocation, removal, storage, destruction, or disposal of the derelict vessel; authorizing the commission to use grant funds allocated for the removal, storage, destruction, and disposal of derelict vessels from the waters of this state for the derelict vessel prevention program; providing penalties; prohibiting a person from dwelling or residing on a derelict vessel; providing penalties; authorizing law enforcement officers to enforce such provisions; authorizing a person to reside on a vessel if the vessel is in a state or condition that is no longer derelict; authorizing the commission to adopt rules; reenacting ss. 327.04 and 327.4108(6)(d), F.S., relating to rules and the anchoring of vessels in anchoring limitation areas, respectively, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 832.11, F.S., in references thereto; reenacting s. 327.54(3)(d), F.S., relating to liveries, safety regulations, and penalties, to incorporate the amendments made to ss. 327.4107 and 823.11, F.S., in references thereto; reenacting s. 705.101(1), F.S., relating to definitions, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 327.73, F.S., in a reference thereto; reenacting ss. 705.104(1) and 713.585(8), F.S., relating to the title to lost or abandoned property and the enforcement of a lien by sale of motor vehicle, respectively, to incorporate the amendment made to s. 705.103, F.S., in references thereto; providing effective dates.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Ana Maria Rodriguez (R)*, 

Other Sponsors (1)

Chapter No. 2025-147 (on 06/23/2025)

Official Document