SB 431 - AS INTRODUCED
2024 SESSION
24-2966
10/08
SENATE BILL 431
AN ACT relative to wake surfing.
SPONSORS: Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Gendreau, Dist 1; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Rep. J. MacDonald, Carr. 6; Rep. Rombeau, Hills. 2; Rep. Soucy, Merr. 21; Rep. Coker, Belk. 2; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4
COMMITTEE: Transportation
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ANALYSIS
This bill adds restrictions for engaging in wake surfing on a public body of water.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
24-2966
10/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
AN ACT relative to wake surfing.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Boating and Water Safety; Wake Surfing. Amend RSA 270-D:3, IV - VII to read as follows:
IV. Except in connection with water events and exhibitions authorized by the director, no towing of water skiers, aquaplanes or similar devices shall be conducted during the period between sunset and sunrise. In addition, no person shall [operate a boat engaged] engage in wake surfing during the period between sunset and sunrise.
V. No person shall be towed on water skis or other appurtenances unless the person is wearing a Coast Guard approved type 1, 2, or 3 PFD, except when directly participating or competing in an American Water Ski Association approved event or exhibition, authorized by a special permit issued by the director of state police.
VI. No person shall engage in wake surfing unless such person is wearing a Coast Guard approved PFD.
VII. No person shall engage in wake surfing on a body of water that is less than 50 acres in size.
VIII. No person shall engage in wake surfing within 200 feet of a shoreline, dock, pier, boathouse, or other boats or on a portion of a body of water with a width, measured from the nearest shoreline to the second nearest shoreline, of less than 400 feet.
[VII.] IX. No person shall operate a motorboat propelled by an outboard motor, inboard/outboard motor, or water jet while a person is wake surfing in or on the wake of such motorboat, unless the propulsion system is designed by the manufacturer for that activity.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.