SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 662

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: FEBRUARY 22, 1996

      The Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 662.   

      This bill would clarify several amendments made to the boating statutes by P.L.1995, c.401 concerning the operation of power vessels by persons under 16 years of age. This bill would provide that persons under 16 years of age, who have completed an approved boat safety course prior to July 1, 1996, may operate a power vessel on the waters of the State provided all other requirements are met. P.L.1995, c.401 inadvertently required that such a course be completed by the enactment date (January 10, 1996), which shortened the period during which persons under 16 years of age could qualify by almost six months. This bill would similarly provide that persons under 16 years of age who were issued a boat operator’s license prior to July 1, 1996 could continue to operate a power vessel until the expiration date of the license.

      The committee amendments would exempt the Superintendent of State Police from the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L. 1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), in developing and administering the written test for experienced boaters who wish to operate a personal watercraft. Pursuant to P.L. 1995, c.401, a one-time only written test can be taken in lieu of completing a boat safety course until July 10, 1996. Since the rulemaking process could easily require several months to complete, the exemption from the APA provisions is necessary to ensure that boaters are afforded an opportunity to take the written test prior to its statutory expiration in July.

      The amendments would make this bill identical to its Assembly counterpart, Assembly Bill No. 1517, as that bill was reported from the Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee on February 8, 1996.