By: LaMantia  S.B. No. 1670
         (In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2023; March 16, 2023, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural
  Affairs; April 17, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 17, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to required boating incident reports.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 31.105, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 31.105.  INCIDENT [ACCIDENT] REPORTS. (a)  This
  section applies only to an incident that is [The operator of a
  vessel involved in] a collision, accident, or other casualty that
  results in:
               (1)  the death of a person;
               (2)  [or] injury to a person that requires medical
  treatment beyond the provision of first aid; or
               (3)  damage to property in excess of an amount set by
  the commission of not less than $2,000.
         (b)  Not later than the 30th day after the date of an incident
  to which this section applies, the operator of a vessel involved in
  the incident shall provide [report] to a marine safety enforcement
  officer or game warden commissioned by the department [on or before
  the expiration of 30 days after the incident] a full description of
  the incident [collision, accident, or casualty] in accordance with
  regulations established by the department.
         (c)  A marine safety enforcement officer who in the regular
  course of duty investigates an incident to which this section
  applies shall electronically file a written report of the incident
  with the department:
               (1)  in a form prescribed by the department; and
               (2)  not later than the 15th day after the date the
  officer initially became aware of the incident [(b)  The accident
  reports are confidential and are inadmissible in court as
  evidence].
         (d) [(c)]  On request made by an authorized official or
  agency of the United States, any information available to the
  department under Subsection (b) [(a)] of this section shall be sent
  to the official or agency.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 31, Parks and Wildlife
  Code, is amended by adding Section 31.1055 to read as follows:
         Sec. 31.1055.  RELEASE OF INCIDENT REPORTS. (a) This
  section applies only to an incident report that is held by the
  department or another governmental entity.
         (b)  In this section:
               (1)  "Incident" means an incident described by Section
  31.105(a).
               (2)  "Incident report" means a written report required
  under Section 31.105(c). 
         (c)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, an
  incident report is confidential and for the use of:
               (1)  the department; and
               (2)  an authorized official or agency of the United
  States or a state or local governmental entity.
         (d)  On written request, the department or the governmental
  entity shall release an incident report to:
               (1)  an entity described by Subsection (c);
               (2)  the law enforcement agency that employs the marine
  safety enforcement officer who investigated the incident and filed
  the incident report with the department, including an agent of the
  law enforcement agency authorized by contract to obtain the
  information;
               (3)  the court in which a case involving a person
  involved in the incident is pending if the incident report is
  subpoenaed; or
               (4)  a person directly concerned in the incident or
  having an interest in the incident as:
                     (A)  a person involved in the incident;
                     (B)  the authorized representative of a person
  involved in the incident;
                     (C)  a vessel operator involved in the incident;
                     (D)  an employer, parent, or legal guardian of a
  vessel operator involved in the incident;
                     (E)  the owner of a vessel or property damaged in
  the incident;
                     (F)  a person who has established financial
  responsibility for a vessel involved in the incident, including a
  policyholder of a liability insurance policy covering the vessel;
                     (G)  an insurance company that issued an insurance
  policy covering a vessel involved in the incident;
                     (H)  an insurance company that issued a policy
  covering any person involved in the incident;
                     (I)  a person under contract to provide claims or
  underwriting information to a person described by Paragraph (F),
  (G), or (H);
                     (J)  a radio or television station that holds a
  license issued by the Federal Communications Commission;
                     (K)  a newspaper that is:
                           (i)  a free newspaper of general circulation
  or qualified under Section 2051.044, Government Code, to publish
  legal notices;
                           (ii)  published at least once a week; and
                           (iii)  available and of interest to the
  general public in connection with the dissemination of news; or
                     (L)  a person who may sue because of death
  resulting from the incident.
         (e)  In addition to the information required to be released
  under Subsection (d), the department shall publish at least
  annually statistics derived from incident reports that relate to
  the number, cause, and location of the reported incidents.
         (f)  The department when releasing information under
  Subsection (d)(4)(J) or (K):
               (1)  may not release the personal identifying
  information, as defined by Section 521.002(a), Business & Commerce
  Code, of an individual included in an incident report; and
               (2)  shall withhold or redact:
                     (A)  the address, other than zip code, and
  telephone number of a person included in an incident report;
                     (B)  the registration or hull identification
  number of a vessel included in an incident report;
                     (C)  the badge number or identification number of
  the investigating officer;
                     (D)  the date of death of a person who died as a
  result of the incident; and
                     (E)  the location to which a person injured or
  killed in the incident was transported or the person that provided
  the transportation.
         (g)  The amount that may be charged for information provided
  under Subsection (d) shall be calculated in the manner specified by
  Chapter 552, Government Code, for public information provided by a
  governmental body under that chapter.
         SECTION 3.  Section 31.132, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 31.132.  REPORTING PROCEDURES FOR ENFORCEMENT
  OFFICERS.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), a [A] marine
  safety enforcement officer shall provide to the department on a
  form prescribed by the department a report of any incident the
  officer investigates that involves a boating accident, water
  fatality, or person who allegedly operates a boat while
  intoxicated.  The officer shall provide the report not later than
  the 15th day after the date the officer initially became aware of
  the incident.
         (b)  This section does not apply to an incident that is
  required to be reported under Section 31.105(c).
         SECTION 4.  Section 31.105, Parks and Wildlife Code, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to an incident described by
  Subsection (a) of that section that occurs on or after the effective
  date of this Act.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
  * * * * *