SB 476 — An Act amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in preliminary provisions relating to boats and boating, further providing for boating education.

PRINTER'S NO.   431

                       THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          SENATE BILL
                          No. 476
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY L. WILLIAMS, COMITTA, PENNYCUICK, FONTANA AND
        MUTH, MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, MARCH 19, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, in preliminary provisions relating to boats and
 3      boating, further providing for boating education.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.      Section 5103(c)(4) and (e)(3), (4), (5), (6) and
 7   (7) of Title 30 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are
 8   amended to read:
 9   § 5103.    Boating education.
10      * * *
11      (c)    Exemptions.--The following persons are exempt from the
12   requirements of this section:
13             * * *
14             (4)   A person who operates a motorboat powered by [an
15      electric motor or by an internal combustion] a motor of 25
16      horsepower or less that is not a personal watercraft.
17             * * *
18      (e)    Commission duties.--The commission shall:
 1           * * *
 2           (3)    Coordinate a Statewide program of boating safety
 3    instruction and certification [at such times and locations to
 4    make courses convenient for residents of various counties and
 5    to maximize attendance].
 6           (4)    Issue a certificate of boating safety education to a
 7    person who pays the fee under section 5104 (relating to fees)
 8    and:
 9                  (i)    passes a commission-approved course in boating
10           safety education; [and] or
11                  (ii)    [pays the fee set forth in section 5104
12           (relating to fees)] requests a replacement or duplicate
13           certificate.
14           [(5)    Provide boating safety education materials to
15    persons who plan to take the boating safety course.
16           (6)    Replace a lost or destroyed certificate.
17           (7)    Establish reasonable charges for persons who take
18    boating safety education courses conducted by the commission
19    or commission volunteers. Such charges shall bear a
20    reasonable relationship to the costs of providing the course
21    and the course materials.]
22    * * *
23    Section 2.          This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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