I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3141
To encourage the safe and responsible use of personal watercraft, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 25, 1999
Mr. SAXTON (for himself, Mr. GILCHREST, and Mr. VENTO) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned
A BILL
To encourage the safe and responsible use of personal
watercraft, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Personal Watercraft
Responsible Use Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The growing popularity of recreational boat-
ing, including personal watercraft, has resulted in
increased numbers of boaters competing for limited
space, which leads to more boating accidents and a
diminished experience for all users.
(2) Personal watercraft are ‘‘thrill craft’’ that
are operated differently from other motorized boats,
are designed to be highly maneuverable at high
speeds, and are capable of operating at high speeds
in shallow areas that are typically inaccessible by
other motorized boats.
(3) 
Irresponsible 
operation 
of 
personal
watercraft poses a safety risk for untrained opera-
tors and other recreational users, and damages valu-
able aquatic habitat in shallow waters.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES AND POLICIES.
The purposes and policies of this Act are the fol-
lowing:
(1) To ensure the safe and responsible use of
personal watercraft in the Nation’s waterways.
(2) To protect sensitive shallow water habitat
that is important for many fish and wildlife species.
(3) To reduce conflicts among recreational
boaters by providing a forum for collaborative man-
agement efforts to develop innovative boating regula-
tions for overcrowded waterways.
(4) To provide Federal assistance to States to
improve the enforcement of recreational boating
laws.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) TERMS DEFINED IN COASTAL ZONE MAN-
AGEMENT ACT OF 1972.—Each of the terms ‘‘coastal
state’’, ‘‘coastal waters’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ has the
meaning given that term under section 304 of the
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C.
1453).
(2) PERSONAL WATERCRAFT.—The term ‘‘per-
sonal watercraft’’ means a motor vessel that is capa-
ble of carrying one or more persons and—
(A) uses an inboard motor powering a
water jet pump or a caged propeller as its pri-
mary source of motive power; and
(B) is designed to be operated by a person
standing on, kneeling on, sitting in, or sitting
astride the vessel.
(3) NO-WAKE
SPEED.—The term ‘‘no-wake
speed’’ means the speed at which a personal
watercraft moves through the water while maintain-
ing minimum headway and producing the smallest
wake possible.
SEC. 5. ENFORCEABLE POLICIES IN THE COASTAL ZONE.
(a) WITHHOLDING OF ASSISTANCE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall withhold
up to 10 percent of a coastal state’s assistance in
each fiscal year under sections 306 and 309 of the
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C.
1455 and 1456b), unless the coastal state imple-
ments enforceable policies and other provisions re-
quired under this section regarding the operation of
personal watercraft in coastal waters of the State.
(2) APPLICATION.—Paragraph (1) shall apply
after the expiration of the 2-year period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) ENFORCEABLE POLICIES.—Enforceable policies
required under this section shall prohibit a person from
operating a personal watercraft in excess of no-wake speed
in any of the following areas or manner:
(1) In any area designated as a sensitive area
in the management program of the coastal state
under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
(16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.).
(2) In waters closer than 200 feet from the
shoreline.
(d) COMPLIANCE.—A coastal state that has a pro-
gram that is otherwise approved by the Secretary in ac-
cordance with section 306(d) of the Coastal Zone Manage-
ment Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1455(d)) may comply with
subsection (a) of this section by amending or modifying
the program (in accordance with section 306(e) of that
Act) to add enforceable policies and other provisions re-
quired by that subsection.
(e) USE OF GRANTS.—A State may use any amount
received by the State as assistance under section 306 or
309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16
U.S.C. 1455, 1456b) to develop and implement enforce-
able policies and provisions required under this section.
(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of Transportation, shall issue regula-
tions implementing this section before the expiration of
the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 6. PERSONAL WATERCRAFT SAFETY PROGRAM.
(a) NATIONAL
PERSONAL
WATERCRAFT
GUIDE-
LINES.—Within one year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish
guidelines and standards for the operation of personal
watercraft, consistent with the enforceable policies re-
quired under section 5(b), in the national recreational
boating safety program carried out under section 13101
of title 46, United States Code. The guidelines and stand-
ards shall include—
(1) mandatory State registration of personal
watercraft;
(2) a minimum age for a personal watercraft
operator of at least 16 years of age, unless the oper-
ator is accompanied on the vessel by a passenger
who has attained an age greater than 16 years and
who has completed the mandatory training program
required under paragraph (3); and
(3) a requirement that all operators of personal
watercraft (including any operator of a rented ves-
sel) must complete a training program that includes
safety and conservation components.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS.—A State may use
funds received by the State under section 13106 of title
46, United States Code, to develop and implement regula-
tions to improve personal watercraft user safety, reduce
conflicts among personal watercraft operators and other
boaters, and minimize environmental damage.
SEC. 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation,
subject to the availability of appropriations, may make
grants to States to enforce recreational boating laws and
regulations, including purchasing necessary equipment
and hiring law enforcement personal. A State is eligible
for assistance under this subsection if the State has—
(1) implemented a recreational boating safety
program that incorporates the national guidelines
and standards for personal watercraft established
under section 6(a); and
(2) adopted the enforceable policies described in
section 5(b), if the State is a coastal state.
(b) ALLOCATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the total amount avail-
able each fiscal year for grants under this section,
the Secretary shall allocate to each State an amount
that bears the same ratio to such total amount as
the number of recreational vessels registered in that
State bears to the total number of recreational ves-
sels registered in all States.
(2) LIMITATION ON GRANTS TO A STATE.—The
total amount awarded to a State each fiscal year as
grants under this section may not exceed the alloca-
tion to the State under paragraph (1) for the fiscal
year.
(c) REQUIRED MATCH.—As a condition of providing
a grant under this section to a State, the Secretary shall
require the State to provide matching funds according to
a 1-to-1 ratio of Federal-to-State contributions. All State
matching funds must be from non-Federal sources. The
State contribution may be made in the form of in-kind
contribution of goods or services.
SEC. 8. TASK FORCE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation,
subject to the availability of appropriations, may make
grants to States to support the activities of collaborative
task forces to minimize conflicts between personal
watercraft and other recreational and commercial users.
Task forces that receive assistance from the Secretary of
Transportation under this section shall—
(1) be organized geographically to minimize
user conflicts in a watershed or basin; and
(2) consist of members that represent personal
watercraft recreational users, State boating law ad-
ministrators, State conservation agencies, other Fed-
eral, State, and local agencies with a demonstrated
interest in minimizing user conflicts, property own-
ers, and other interested persons.
(b) ALLOCATION.—The Secretary shall award task
force development grants on a competitive basis. No State
may receive more than 25 percent of the total amount ap-
propriated for a fiscal year for assistance under this sub-
section.
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Transportation
may issue regulations and requirements for the task force
development grant program under this section.
(d) REQUIRED MATCH.—As a condition of providing
a grant under this section to a State, the Secretary shall
require the State to provide matching funds according to
a 1-to-1 ratio of Federal-to-State contributions. All State
matching funds must be from non-Federal sources. The
State contribution may be made in the form of in-kind
contribution of goods or services.
(e) OBLIGATION.—Amounts provided as a grant
under this section shall be available to the grantee for obli-
gation for 2 years, after which any unobligated amount
shall revert to the Secretary of Transportation and remain
available for grants under this section for subsequent fis-
cal years.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS.—For law enforce-
ment grants under section 7, there are authorized to be
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
Transportation
$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and
2003.
(b) TASK FORCE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.—For task
force development grants under section 8, there are au-
thorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transpor-
tation $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and
2003.
SEC. 10. STATE AUTHORITY PRESERVED.
Nothing in this Act limits the authority of a State
to establish limitations or requirements for the operation
of personal watercraft, that are more restrictive than the
enforceable policies and other provisions required by this
Act.
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