Boating Safety Law SB 136 Passes Unanimously
A proposed new law, Senate Bill 136 (also known as the “Kile Glover Boat Education Law” and “Jake and Griffin Prince BUI Law”), unanimously passed the Georgia State Senate on Friday, March 1, 2013.
Senate Bill 136, if passed by the House, will:
• reduce the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.10 to 0.08 for BUI
• increase the penalties for hunting or boating while under the influence
• effective July 1, 2014, require anyone born on or after 1-1-98, who operates a motorized water vessel to complete a boating education course
• increase the age requirement for wearing a personal flotation device from 10 to 13 years old and
• provide increased penalties for repeat BUI offenders.
In addition, all motorized Class A and Class 1 vessels being operated during hours of darkness or low visibility shall display a 32 point white stern light visible for a distance of two miles, plus a 20 point combination red and green light on the bow, or ten-point combination red and green side lights properly screened and visible for a distance of one mile and displayed lower than the white stern light.
Gainesville’s Senator Butch Miller said, “I am pleased by the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 136, and look forward to its favorable consideration in the House. The citizens of Georgia deserve to be kept safe whether they are on the road or navigating one of our many waterways. If you are too drunk to drive a car, then you are too drunk to drive a boat or hunt.”
The “Jake and Griffin Prince BUI Law” remembers two brothers killed when a drunken boater collided with their family’s pontoon. If signed into law, this legislation would lower the state’s legal intoxication limit for Georgia boaters to .08, making it the same as the limit for operating a motor vehicle on the state’s roadways. In addition, Senate Bill 136 would also prohibit operation while under the influence of any toxic vapor such as glue or aerosol.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 28 boating accidents and 54 BUI’s have occurred on Lake Lanier since August 10, 2012.
Under this bill, a first or second conviction will result in a misdemeanor; a third conviction will result in a high and aggravated misdemeanor; and a fourth or subsequent conviction will result in a felony. Convictions will result in a civil fine, imprisonment, community service, clinical evaluation, possible completion of a DUI Program, and a period of probation. A person’s privileges to operate a boat will be suspended for three years and will remain suspended until the person has proof of completion of a boating education course and pays a $200 fine or $500 for a repeat conviction.
Along with its tribute to Jack and Griffin Prince, the legislation remembers 11-year-old Kile Glover, who passed after an accident with a jet ski. The “Kile Glover Boat Education Law” seeks to increase the age requirement for wearing a personal flotation device from 10 to 13 years old.
Effective July 1, 2014, anyone born on or after January 1, 1998, and those turning 16 years after, who operates a motorized vessel on the water must complete a boating education course approved by the Department of Natural Resources. Children ages 12 through 15 years of age may only operate a Class A vessel if the person is with an adult 18 years of age or older who completed a boater education course.
Under existing law, individuals are prohibited from hunting while their blood alcohol content is 0.10 grams or more at any time within three hours after hunting. This bill reduces the limit to 0.08. If convicted, the person’s hunting privileges will be suspended for one year and will remain suspended until they complete a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Reduction Program and pay a $200 fine or $500 for a repeat conviction.
LakeLanier.com appreciates the heroic efforts of everyone who helped push for this legislation, for those who wrote it and for those who passed it in the Senate.