Reacting to a recent boating accident in New York, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4642, the Boat Occupancy and Teaching Act, May 20. There are no co-sponsors and no action is currently being considered. The bill has been referred to three House committees: Transportation, Ways and Means and Natural Resources.

H.R. 4642 would require the U.S. Coast Guard to establish the maximum passenger capacity (in pounds and number of persons) for recreational boats between 20 feet and 45 feet LOA. The placard displaying this information must be posted within 180 days of the bill’s passage in an area of the boat that’s clearly visible to boarding passengers and also on the flying bridge of the vessel.

In addition, the bill also would allow a state to enter into a contract with a local government or private entity to provide recreational boating safety education and would require a state to spend no less than 5 percent of the federal amounts it receives from the Sport Fish and Boating Fund.

MRAA opposes this bill.