ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1586

with Committee Amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 25, 1996

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1586 with committee amenndments.

      Assembly Bill No. 1586 requires that all children 12 years of age and younger wear United States Coast Guard approved personal flotations devices (PFDs) whenever they are aboard vessel operating upon the waters of this State.

      The bill, as amended by the committee, directs the Boat Regulation Commission to promulgate appropriate rules to effectuate this requirement. The bill specifies that the operator of the vessel is responsible for seeing that every child 12 years of age and younger on the vessel wear a properly fitting PFD approved by the United States Coast Guard. Violators are subject to fines of not less than $25 or more than $50.

      Currently, the State's boating regulations (see New Jersey Administrative Code 13:82-1.4) require that every vessel be equipped with serviceable United States Coast Guard approved PFDs for each person on board. These regulations do not specify that the PFD be worn.

      According to the sponsor, 26 states currently require children to wear PFDs while on board a vessel. Ten of those states require children aged 12 and under to wear PFDs. The other 16 states mandate the wearing of PFDs for children younger than 12 years of age. The requirements vary significantly, ranging from those which require PFDs only for children ages 5 and under to those requiring PFDs for all children ages 11 and under.