Current Status Bill Number:3428 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19970212 Primary Sponsor:Klauber All Sponsors:Klauber Drafted Document Number:egm\18543djc.97 Residing Body:House Current Committee:Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs Com 20 HANR Subject:Watercraft, propcraft, personal; operation of on state waters
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19970212 Introduced, read first time, 20 HANR referred to CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO AMEND SECTION 50-21-870, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PERSONAL WATERCRAFT AND BOATING SAFETY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A PERSONAL WATERCRAFT OR PROPCRAFT UPON THE WATERS OF THIS STATE AFTER SUNSET OR BEFORE SUNRISE UNLESS THE WATERCRAFT OR PROPCRAFT IS TIED TO A DOCK OR OTHERWISE SECURELY MOORED, TO OPERATE A PERSONAL WATERCRAFT, SPECIALTY PROPCRAFT, OR VESSEL WHILE UPON THE WATERS OF THIS STATE IN A MANNER THAT UNREASONABLY OR UNNECESSARILY ENDANGERS LIFE, LIMB, OR PROPERTY OR WHEN UNREASONABLY CLOSE TO A MOORED OR AN ANCHORED VESSEL, WHARF, DOCK, BULKHEAD, PIER, OR A PERSON IN THE WATER, OR WITHIN ONE HUNDRED YARDS OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN COASTLINE, AND TO OPERATE WHILE UPON THE WATERS OF THIS STATE A PERSONAL WATERCRAFT, SPECIALTY PROPCRAFT, OR VESSEL IN A MANNER SO AS TO LEAVE THE WATER COMPLETELY WHILE CROSSING THE WAKE OF ANOTHER VESSEL WHEN UNREASONABLY OR UNNECESSARILY CLOSE TO THE VESSEL CREATING THE WAKE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 50-21-870(B)(2), (6), (10) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 291 of 1996, is amended to read:
"(2) operate or be in possession of a personal watercraft or specialty propcraft while upon the waters of this State after sunset or before sunrise; unless the watercraft or propcraft is tied to a dock, wharf, bulkhead, or pier, or is otherwise securely moored so as to be inoperable.
(6) operate a personal watercraft, specialty propcraft, or vessel while upon the waters of this State in excess of idle speed within 50 feet of a manner that unreasonably or unnecessarily endangers life, limb, or property or when unreasonably close to a moored or an anchored vessel, wharf, dock, bulkhead, pier, or a person in the water, or within 100 one hundred yards of the Atlantic Ocean coastline.
(10) operate while upon the waters of this State a personal watercraft, specialty propcraft, or vessel in a manner so as to leave the water completely while crossing the wake of another vessel within two hundred feet of when unreasonably or unnecessarily close to the vessel creating the wake."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect May 6, 1997.