1-1     By:  Maxey (Senate Sponsor - Patterson)                H.B. No. 394

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 4, 1997;

 1-3     April 8, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural

 1-4     Resources; May 1, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 1, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to required equipment for racing shells, rowing sculls,

 1-9     and racing kayaks.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 31.073, Parks and Wildlife Code, is

1-12     amended to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 31.073.  CANOES, PUNTS, ROWBOATS, SAILBOATS, [AND]

1-14     RUBBER RAFTS, RACING SHELLS, ROWING SCULLS, AND RACING KAYAKS;

1-15     EQUIPMENT EXEMPTIONS.  (a)  All canoes, punts, rowboats, sailboats,

1-16     and rubber rafts when paddled, poled, oared, or windblown are

1-17     exempt from all [the required] safety equipment requirements except

1-18     the following:

1-19                 (1)  one Coast Guard approved lifesaving device for

1-20     each person aboard; and

1-21                 (2)  the lights prescribed by the commandant of the

1-22     Coast Guard for class A vessels and required under [in] Section

1-23     31.064 [of this code].

1-24           (b)  Racing shells, rowing sculls, and racing kayaks while

1-25     participating in or practicing for an officially sanctioned race

1-26     are exempt from all safety equipment requirements except the lights

1-27     prescribed by the commandant of the Coast Guard for class A vessels

1-28     and required under Section 31.064.

1-29           (c)  In this section, "racing shell," "rowing scull," or

1-30     "racing kayak" means a manually propelled boat:

1-31                 (1)  recognized by a national or international racing

1-32     association for use in competitive racing;

1-33                 (2)  not designed or used to carry equipment serving

1-34     any purpose other than competitive racing; and

1-35                 (3)  in which each occupant, except a coxswain, rows,

1-36     sculls, or paddles.

1-37           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-38           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-39     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-40     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-41     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-42     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-43                                  * * * * *