SB-0703, As Passed House, February 25, 2004                                 

SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 703

                                                                             A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

by amending section 80205 (MCL 324.80205), as added by 2000 PA              

229; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.                                  

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 80205.  (1) Until 5 years after the effective date of                  

2   the 2004 amendatory act that amended this section, except as                

3   otherwise provided in this section, a person shall not operate a            

4   personal watercraft on the waters of this state unless each                 

5   person riding on or being towed behind the personal watercraft is           

6   wearing a type I, type II, or type III personal flotation device            

7   as described in R 281.1234 of the Michigan administrative code.

8   (2)  (1) Except Beginning 5 years after the effective date                 

9   of the 2004 amendatory act that amended this section, except as             

10  otherwise provided in this section, a person shall not operate a            

1   personal watercraft on the waters of this state unless each                 

2   person 12 years of age or older riding on or being towed behind             

3   the personal watercraft is wearing a type I, type II, or type III           

4   personal flotation device as described in R 281.1234 of the                 

5   Michigan administrative code.                                               

6   (3)  (2) A Beginning 5 years after the effective date of the               

7   2004 amendatory act that amended this section, a person shall not           

8   operate a personal watercraft on the waters of this state unless            

9   each person on board or being towed by the personal watercraft              

10  who is less than 12 years of age is wearing a type I or type II             

11  personal flotation device as described in R 281.1234 of the                 

12  Michigan administrative code.                                               

13  (4)  (3)  A person shall not operate a personal watercraft on               

14  the waters of this state unless each person on board the personal           

15  watercraft is wearing a personal flotation device that is not               

16  inflatable.                                                                 

17  (5)  (4)  A person shall not operate a personal watercraft on               

18  the waters of this state if a child who is under 7 years of age             

19  is on board or being towed behind the personal watercraft unless            

20  the child is in the company of his or her parent or guardian or a           

21  designee of the parent or guardian.                                         

22  (6)  (5)  While operating a personal watercraft equipped by                 

23  the manufacturer with a lanyard-type engine cutoff switch on the            

24  waters of this state, a person shall have the lanyard attached to           

25  his or her person, clothing, or personal flotation device as is             

26  appropriate for the personal watercraft.                                    

27  (7)  (6)  A person shall not operate a personal watercraft on               

1   the waters of this state during the period that begins 1 hour               

2   before sunset and ends at 8 a.m. As used in this subsection,                

3   "sunset" means that time as determined by the national weather              

4   service.                                                                    

5   (8)  (7)  A person operating a personal watercraft on the                   

6   waters of this state shall not cross within 150 feet behind                 

7   another vessel, other than a personal watercraft, unless the                

8   person is operating the personal watercraft at slow--no wake                

9   speed.                                                                      

10  (9)  (8)  A person shall not operate a personal watercraft on               

11  the waters of this state where the water depth is less than 2               

12  feet, as determined by vertical measurement, unless 1 or both of            

13  the following circumstances exist:                                          

14      (a) The personal watercraft is being operated at slow--no                   

15  wake speed.                                                                 

16      (b) The personal watercraft is being docked or launched.                    

17  (10)  (9)  A person shall operate a personal watercraft in a                

18  reasonable and prudent manner.  A maneuver that unreasonably or             

19  unnecessarily endangers life, limb, or property, including, but             

20  not limited to, all of the following, constitutes reckless                  

21  operation of a personal watercraft under section 80208:                     

22      (a) Weaving through congested vessel traffic.                               

23      (b) Jumping the wake of another vessel unreasonably or                      

24  unnecessarily close to the other vessel or when visibility around           

25  the other vessel is obstructed.                                             

26      (c) Waiting until the last possible moment before swerving to               

27  avoid a collision.                                                          

1   (11)  (10)  A person shall not operate a personal watercraft                

2   on the waters of this state carrying more persons than the                  

3   personal watercraft is designed to carry.                                   

4   (12)  (11)  A violation of subsection  (10) (11) is prima                  

5   facie evidence of reckless operation of a watercraft under                  

6   section 80208.                                                              

7   (13)  (12)  A person operating a personal watercraft in                     

8   excess of the speeds established under part 801 is guilty of                

9   reckless operation of a personal watercraft under section 80208.            

10  (14)  (13)  This section does not apply to a performer                      

11  engaged in a professional exhibition or a person preparing to               

12  participate or participating in a regatta, race, marine parade,             

13  tournament, or exhibition held in compliance with section 80164             

14  under a permit issued by the department and at the time and place           

15  specified in the permit.                                                    

16  (15) The department shall annually prepare and submit to the                

17  standing committees of the senate and house of representatives              

18  with primary jurisdiction over marine safety issues an accident             

19  report related to the use of personal watercraft, the types of              

20  personal flotation devices that were being used, and the injuries           

21  that resulted.

22      Enacting section 1.  Enacting section 1 of 2000 PA 229 is                   

23  repealed.                                                                   

24      Enacting section 2.  Part 802 of the natural resources and                  

25  environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.80201 to                 

26  324.80222, is repealed effective March 23, 2012.