| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to an interim study of recreational boating safety in |
|
|
Texas. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. ADVISORY PANEL; STUDY. (a) The governor, |
|
|
lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives |
|
|
shall each appoint three members to an advisory panel on |
|
|
recreational boating safety. |
|
|
(b) The panel appointed under Subsection (a) of this section |
|
|
shall conduct a study assessing current conditions and making |
|
|
recommendations regarding: |
|
|
(1) boating safety generally and ways to improve |
|
|
boating safety on lakes and rivers in this state; |
|
|
(2) the effect of boater education on boating safety |
|
|
and the boat rental, boat sales, and tourism industries; |
|
|
(3) the effect of requiring every boat owner to carry |
|
|
liability insurance on boating safety and the boat rental, boat |
|
|
sales, and tourism industries; |
|
|
(4) the effectiveness of law enforcement on lakes and |
|
|
rivers and ways to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement, |
|
|
including possible increases in the number of enforcement officers |
|
|
and state or local responsibility for the increases; and |
|
|
(5) any other issue the advisory panel finds relevant |
|
|
to boating safety in this state. |
|
|
(c) For each area of the study, the panel shall provide an |
|
|
estimate of the costs to boaters and the boating and tourism |
|
|
industries if the panel's recommendations were implemented. |
|
|
(d) One member of the panel appointed by the governor shall |
|
|
serve as the panel's presiding officer. |
|
|
(e) The panel shall convene at the call of the presiding |
|
|
officer. |
|
|
(f) From the contingent expense fund of the senate and the |
|
|
contingent expense fund of the house of representatives equally, |
|
|
the members of the panel are entitled to reimbursement for expenses |
|
|
incurred in carrying out the provisions of this Act in accordance |
|
|
with the rules of the senate and house of representatives and the |
|
|
policies of the senate and house committees on administration. |
|
|
(g) Not later than December 31, 2010, the panel shall report |
|
|
the results of the study conducted under this section to the Parks |
|
|
and Wildlife Department, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
|
|
speaker of the house of representatives, and the members of the |
|
|
committee in each house of the legislature with primary |
|
|
jurisdiction over recreational boating. |
|
|
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
|
|
1, 2009. |