I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4705 

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a nonrefundable 

credit for the purchase of emergency position-indicating radio beacons 

and personal locator beacons. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 3, 2016 

Mr. MURPHY of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 

a nonrefundable credit for the purchase of emergency 

position-indicating radio beacons and personal locator 

beacons. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Austin and Perry Safe 

5 Boating Incentive Act’’. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4705 IH

1 SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR LOCATOR BEACONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart A of part IV of sub3 chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 

4 1986 is amended at the end of the following new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 25E. LOCATOR BEACONS. 

6 ‘‘(a) ALLOWANCE OF CREDIT.—In the case of an in7 dividual, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax 

8 imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount 

9 equal to 50 percent of the sum of the amount paid or ac10 crued for— 

11 ‘‘(1) a qualified emergency position-indicating 

12 radio beacon, and 

13 ‘‘(2) a qualified personal locator beacon. 

14 ‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) ANNUAL LIMIT.—The amount allowed as a 

16 credit for any taxable year under subsection (a) shall 

17 not exceed $200. 

18 ‘‘(2) LIFETIME LIMIT.—The aggregate amount 

19 allowed as a credit for all taxable years under sub20 section (a) shall not exceed the excess of— 

21 ‘‘(A) $500, reduced (but not below zero) 

22 by 

23 ‘‘(B) the aggregate amount allowed as a 

24 credit under subsection (a) to the taxpayer for 

25 all prior taxable years. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4705 IH

1 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this sec2 tion— 

3 ‘‘(1) QUALIFIED EMERGENCY POSITION-INDI4 CATING RADIO BEACON.—The term ‘qualified emer5 gency position-indicating radio beacon’ means a de6 vice installed on an eligible boat that— 

7 ‘‘(A) transmits distress signals at a fre8 quency between 406.0 and 406.1 MHz, 

9 ‘‘(B) is manufactured by a company ap10 proved to manufacture beacons by the Inter11 national Cospas-Sarsat Programme, and 

12 ‘‘(C) is registered with the United States 

13 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra14 tion. 

15 ‘‘(2) QUALIFIED PERSONAL LOCATOR BEA16 CON.—The term ‘qualified personal locator beacon’ 

17 means a device designed to be carried by an indi18 vidual that— 

19 ‘‘(A) transmits distress signals at a fre20 quency between 406.0 and 406.1 MHz, 

21 ‘‘(B) is manufactured by a company ap22 proved to manufacture beacons by the Inter23 national Cospas-Sarsat Programme, 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4705 IH

1 ‘‘(C) is registered with the United States 

2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra3 tion, and 

4 ‘‘(D) is acquired for use in boating activi5 ties by the taxpayer who owns or operates an 

6 eligible boat. 

7 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE BOATS.—The term ‘eligible 

8 boat’ means— 

9 ‘‘(A) any recreational vessel (as defined in 

10 section 2101 of title 46, United States Code), 

11 ‘‘(B) any small passenger vessel (as de12 fined in section 2101 of title 46, United States 

13 Code) carrying not more than 250 passengers, 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(C) any uninspected passenger vessel (as 

16 defined in section 2101 of title 46, United 

17 States Code). 

18 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 

19 such regulations or other guidance as may be necessary 

20 to carry out this section, including regulations relating to 

21 the installation of a qualified emergency position-indi22 cating radio beacon on an eligible boat.’’. 

23 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

24 for subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4705 IH

1 of such Code is amended at the end of the following new 

2 item: 

‘‘Sec. 25E. Locator beacons.’’. 

3 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

4 this section shall apply to emergency position-indicating 

5 radio beacons installed, and personal locator beacons pur6 chased, after December 31, 2015. 

Æ 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS