Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2045
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: SYKES, GERZOFSKY
Amends: 12 MRSA §13071-B

Legislative Document 
No. 2045 
liP. 1429 
House of Representatives~ December 21, 2007 
All Ad: To Enact Guidelines for the OperatieB of ~ 
by 
Minot."S 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 19, 2007. Referred to the Committee on 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401. 
~/J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative SYKES of Harrison. 
Cosponsored by Representative: GERZOFSKY of Brunswick. 
Printed on recycled pape< 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13071-B is enacted to r.ead: 
§13071-B. Operating motorboats 
1. Operating motorboat while underage. A person under 16 years of age may not 
operate a motorboat. 
A. A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine 
of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged. 
B. A person who violates this subsection after having been adjudicated as having 
committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year period 
commits a Class E crime. 
II 
2. Additional safety requirements while operating motorboat. This subsection 
applies to the operation of or being a passenger on a motorboat. 
A. A person may not: 
(I) Operate or be a passenger on a motorboat unless the person is wearing a 
United States Coast Guard approved Type 1, Type II or Type III personal 
flotation device; or 
(2) Operate a motorboat during the hours between sunset and sunrise. 
B. The following penalties apply to violations of this subsection. 
(I) A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a 
fine of not less than 5100 nor more than 5500 may be adjudged. 
(2) A person who viobd:es this subsection IIfier having been adjudicated as 
having committed 3 or more civil violations undertbis Part within the previous 5-
year period commits a Class E crime. 
3. Operating motorboat whire 16 years of age Dr older and under 18 years of 
age; boater education. This subsection applies to the operation of a motorboat by a 
person 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age. 
A. A person 16 yean; of l".ge or older and under 18 years of age may not operate a 
motorboat unless: 
(1) That person is accompanied by a person 18 years of age or older who 
physically occupies the motorboat; or 
(2) 
While operating the motorboat, that person possesses on that person 
identification showing proof of age and proof of successful completion of a 
boater safety education course approved by a national association of state boating 
law administrators, including but not limited to courses offered by the United 
States Coast Guard Auxiliary or other organizations approved by the 
commissioner for providing boater safety education courses. The commissioner 
shall establish a list of approved organizations for providing boater safety 
education courses and make that list readily available to the public. 
• 
B. The penalties described in this paragraph apply to violations of this subsection. 
( I) A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a 
fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500 may be adjudged. 
(2) 
A person who violates this subsection after having been adjudicated as 
having committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-
year period commits a Class E crime. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the same guidelines for the operation of motorboats by people under 
years of age as already exist for the operation of personal watercraft. The personal 
watercraft gu idel ines that proh i bited use of personal watercraft on certain lakes and ponds 
were not included.