Florida Senate - 2017 CS for SB 718
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Powell
596-02449-17 2017718c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to vessel registrations; amending s.
3 328.72, F.S.; revising a reduction of vessel
4 registration fees for recreational vessels equipped
5 with certain position indicating and locating beacons;
6 deleting a registration date limitation; deleting an
7 expiration date; providing an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Subsection (18) of section 328.72, Florida
12 Statutes, is amended to read:
13 328.72 Classification; registration; fees and charges;
14 surcharge; disposition of fees; fines; marine turtle stickers.—
15 (18) REDUCED VESSEL REGISTRATION FEE.—
16 (a) As used in this subsection, the term:
17 1. “Emergency position-indicating radio beacon” means a
18 device installed on the vessel being registered that:
19 a. Transmits distress signals at a frequency between 406.0
20 and 406.1 MHz;
21 b. Is manufactured by a company approved to manufacture
22 beacons by the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme; and
23 c. Is registered with the United States National Oceanic
24 and Atmospheric Administration.
25 2. “Full registration fee amount” means the registration
26 fee as provided in subsection (1) and not the reduced vessel
27 registration fee specified in this subsection.
28 3. “Personal locator beacon” means a device designed to be
29 carried by an individual that:
30 a. Transmits distress signals at a frequency between 406.0
31 and 406.1 MHz;
32 b. Is manufactured by a company approved to manufacture
33 beacons by the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme; and
34 c. Is registered with the United States National Oceanic
35 and Atmospheric Administration.
36 (b) The registration certificate fee imposed under
37 subsection (1) for a recreational vessel equipped with an
38 emergency position-indicating radio beacon, or for a
39 recreational vessel the owner of which owns a personal locator
40 beacon, shall be reduced to the following amounts for each 12
41 month period registered:
42 1. Class A-1—$2.95 $4.24.
43 2. Class A-2—$11.00 $13.77.
44 3. Class 1—$20.40 $24.83.
45 4. Class 2—$57.50 $68.56.
46 5. Class 3—$94.95 $112.31.
47 6. Class 4—$113.40 $134.41.
48 7. Class 5—$141.15 $167.11.
49 (c) A person who owns a personal locator beacon and who
50 owns more than one recreational vessel qualifies to pay the
51 reduced fee under paragraph (b) for only one such vessel.
52 (d) In order to qualify for reduced registration fees under
53 this subsection, a vessel owner must, at the time of
54 registration, demonstrate that the vessel is equipped with an
55 emergency position-indicating radio beacon or that the vessel
56 owner owns a personal locator beacon. The Department of Highway
57 Safety and Motor Vehicles may adopt rules specifying what
58 constitutes sufficient proof to qualify for reduced registration
59 fees under this subsection, but such proof must contain, at a
60 minimum, the following:
61 1. The name of the beacon owner.
62 2. The expiration date of the beacon’s registration.
63 3. The unique identification number of the beacon.
64 4. For vessels equipped with an emergency position
65 indicating radio beacon, identification of the vessel equipped
66 with the beacon.
67 (e) For each vessel registration qualifying for reduced
68 registration fees under this subsection, an amount equal to the
69 difference between the full registration fee amount and the
70 actual amount of registration fee paid for such vessel
71 registration shall be transferred from the General Revenue Fund
72 to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and shall
73 be distributed pursuant to s. 328.76.
74 (f) The reduced registration certificate fee amounts
75 provided in this subsection apply only to applicable vessels
76 registered during the period beginning July 1, 2016, and ending
77 June 30, 2017.
78 (g) This subsection expires July 1, 2017.
79 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.