CALIFORNIA MULLS MANDATORY BOATER EDUCATION

After losing legislative steam in mid-2007, California’s Mandatory Boater Education bill appears to be ready for a return engagement in 2008. The bill proposed last year would have required anyone operating a boat to carry a vessel operator card card certifying that they had passed a Department of Boating and Waterways approved test.
    
Last year, the bill failed to muster needed support due to lack of funding. This year, however, the funding issue appears to have been resolved.
    
The bill is essentially the same as it was in 2007, except the starting date for enforcement is January 1, 2012 and the "sunset clause" kicks in on January 1, 2022.
 
The vessel operator test will be available on the Department of Boating and Waterways website. Persons who pass the written test will be issued an operator’s card, that will be valid for life. The Department of Boating and Waterways will charge a one-time fee, not to exceed $13, to issue the card.
 
Content courtesy of Southern California Marine Association.