Florida Senate - 2018                             CS for SB 1132
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senator Hutson
       
       
       
       
       
       576-03572-18                                          20181132c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to vessel safety inspection decals;
    3         amending s. 327.70, F.S.; providing rulemaking
    4         authority to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
    5         Commission regarding expiration and design of safety
    6         inspection decals; specifying standards for such
    7         rulemaking; providing a maximum period of validity for
    8         the decal; specifying that decals issued on or before
    9         a specified date are no longer valid after that date;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   15  327.70, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         327.70 Enforcement of this chapter and chapter 328.—
   17  (2)(a)1. Upon demonstrated compliance with the safety equipment
   18  carriage and use requirements of this chapter during a safety
   19  inspection initiated by a law enforcement officer, the operator
   20  of a vessel shall be issued a safety inspection decal signifying
   21  that the vessel is deemed to have met the safety equipment
   22  carriage and use requirements of this chapter at the time and
   23  location of such inspection. The commission may designate by
   24  rule the timeframe for expiration of, and the specific design
   25  for, the safety inspection decal. However, a decal may not be
   26  valid for more than 5 years and, at a minimum, must meet the
   27  standards specified in this paragraph. All decals issued by the
   28  commission on or before December 31, 2018, are no longer valid
   29  after that date.
   30         2. The safety inspection decal, if displayed, must be
   31  located within 6 inches of the inspected vessel’s properly
   32  displayed vessel registration decal. For nonmotorized vessels
   33  that are not required to be registered, the safety inspection
   34  decal, if displayed, must be located above the waterline on the
   35  forward half of the port side of the vessel.
   36         Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.