California Boating Congress Convenes Ad Hoc Legislative Review Phone Conference

California Boating Congress Convenes Ad Hoc Legislative Review Phone Conference

With the cancellation of the 2020 California Boating Congress due to the ensuing COVID-19 crisis, the Marine Recreation Association called together other marine industry partners for an ad hoc phone conference with Platinum Advisors, the MRA legislative lobbyists, to review pending legislation in the California Congress on March 30th.

Representatives from the MRA Board of Directors, NMMA, CAHMPC, CYBA, RBOC and other marine industry interests participated in the phone conference that was led by Beau Biller, Lobbyist at Platinum Advisers, and reviewed four pending Measures.

AB 2809 was introduced February 20, 2020, and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources March 12, 2020. This bill is aimed at controlling some of the regulatory excesses that BCDC has exercised in the past, and would require that the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission create and implement procedures to provide managerial review of staff decisions in enforcement, timelines for resolving enforcement cases, and a penalty matrix for assessing fines and civil penalties. A general consensus of agreement and support for this measure was expressed by the group.

SB 883 was introduced January 23, 2020, and would revise the definition of a for-hire vessel to include a vessel propelled by machinery carrying one or more passengers for hire to be operated by an operator with a valid license. Current law defines a for-hire vessel to include those carrying 3 passengers or more. Some ambiguities exist in the wording of this measure and it was recommended that these be clarified by Platinum Advisers before any support or opposition is expressed. Hearings for this bill have been postponed for the time being.

SB 904 supplements current law generally requiring all undocumented vessels using the waterways of the state to be currently registered in California and properly numbered. This bill would additionally require law enforcement citing a person for various violations, including the failure to properly number the vessel as specified, to prepare a notice to the violator to correct the violation and deliver proof of the correction to the issuing agency in lieu of arrest, unless a disqualifying condition exists. This bill was introduced February 3, 2020 and referred to the Transportation Committee on February 12, 2020, and generally supported in the meeting.

SB 1080 This bill supplants current law, allowing a properly licensed person to bring ashore a fish taken in California inland waters in a condition such that its size or weight cannot be determined if the fish is cleaned at the end of a fishing trip while still on the water and temporarily berthed or landed on a dock or other permanent structure. Current law makes it unlawful to possess or bring ashore any fish in a condition that its weight or size cannot be determined. Introduced February 19, 2020, hearings have been postponed for the time being. This Measure was generally supported in the meeting.

Additional information on these and other pending legislation in California can be accessed at www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov 

The Marine Recreation Association is a professional organization that represents marina owners, operators, and industry professionals located throughout the western United States with additional members in Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Created more than 49 years ago, the MRA actively promotes and represents recreational boating interests while providing educational management and operations seminars, and information for marine industry owners, operators, and staff. 

For additional information about the MRA, and all of its activities and interests, contact Mariann Timms by phone at (209) 334-0661, email at mra@marina.org or go online at http://www.marina.org.