ENROLLED
       2018 Legislature                   CS for SB 1132, 1st Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                             20181132er
    1  
    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 minimum and maximum period of
    8         validity for the decal; specifying that decals issued
    9         on or before a specified date are no longer valid
   10         after that date; 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
   18  equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter during a
   19  safety inspection initiated by a law enforcement officer, the
   20  operator of a vessel shall be issued a safety inspection decal
   21  signifying that the vessel is deemed to have met the safety
   22  equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter at the
   23  time and location of such inspection. The commission may
   24  designate by rule the timeframe for expiration of, and the
   25  specific design for, the safety inspection decal. However, a
   26  decal may not be valid for less than 1 calendar year or more
   27  than 5 years and, at a minimum, must meet the standards
   28  specified in this paragraph. All decals issued by the commission
   29  on or before December 31, 2018, are no longer valid after that
   30  date.
   31         2. The safety inspection decal, if displayed, must be
   32  located within 6 inches of the inspected vessel’s properly
   33  displayed vessel registration decal. For nonmotorized vessels
   34  that are not required to be registered, the safety inspection
   35  decal, if displayed, must be located above the waterline on the
   36  forward half of the port side of the vessel.
   37         Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.