[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1623

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 28, 1996

By Senators CIESLA and CAFIERO

An Act concerning historic vessels ¹[and],¹ amending ¹P.L. 1995, c.401¹ and supplementing P.L.1962, c.73.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. (New section) a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, or rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, a resident of this State who is an owner of an historic vessel may number the vessel pursuant to the provisions of this section. Application for numbering an historic vessel shall be filed with the division on forms approved by it. The application shall be signed by the owner and accompanied by the fee prescribed for numbering vessels pursuant to ¹[this act] the provisions of section 12 of P.L.1962, c.73 (C.12:7-34.47)¹. Upon proper application and payment of the prescribed fees, the division shall enter the same upon the records of its office and issue to the applicant a pocket-size, laminated or otherwise water resistant certificate of number, which shall state the name and address of the owner, a description of the historic vessel, its use, and the number assigned. A historic vessel number issued pursuant to this section shall be subject to all other requirements of section 4 of P.L.1962, c.73 (C.12:7-34.39). A vessel numbered pursuant to this subsection shall be used only for exhibition or educational purposes, but may be operated to and from a vessel service or repair facility.

    b. The division shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of subsection a. of this section. Such rules and regulations shall establish a special numbering code, using letters and numerals, that is unique to historic vessels.

    2. Section 2 of P.L.1995, c.401 (C.12:7-71) is amended to read as follows:

    2. As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:

    "Commission" means the Boat Regulation Commission established pursuant to section 14 of P.L.1962, c.73 (C.12:7-34.49);

    "Department" means the Department of Law and Public Safety;

    "Director" means the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles in the Department of Transportation;

    "Division" means the Division of Motor Vehicles in the Department of Transportation;

    "Documented vessel" means a vessel which has a valid Marine Document issued by the United States Coast Guard or any Federal agency successor thereto;

    "Historic vessel" means any vessel that is at least 25 years old and that is owned as a collector's item and used for the purposes set forth in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(now before the Legislature as section 1 of this bill);

    "Length" means measurement from end to end over the deck parallel to the centerline excluding sheer, bowsprits, bumpkins, rudders, outboard motors, brackets or other equipment or appendages;

    "Motor" means a temporarily or permanently installed fuel consuming mechanism by which the vessel is or may be propelled, including an electrical motor;

    "Operate" means to navigate, use, control or command a vessel;

    "Operator" means every person having charge, control, operation or direction of any vessel and the owner of the vessel if the owner is on the vessel at the time it is operated in violation of the law;

    "Owner" means a person, other than a lienholder, having the property in or title to a vessel. The term includes a person entitled to the use or possession of the vessel subject to an interest of another person, reserved or created by agreement and securing payment or performance of an obligation, but the term excludes a lessee under a lease not intended as security;

    "Personal watercraft" means a personal watercraft as defined by section 1 of P.L.1993, c.299 (C.12:7-62);

    "Power vessel" means a vessel temporarily or permanently equipped with machinery for propulsion, including a personal watercraft, and shall not include a vessel propelled wholly by sails or by muscular power;

    "Sailboat" means any boat whose sole source of propulsion is the wind;

    "Vessel" means a boat or watercraft, other than a sea plane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water; and

    "Waters of this State" means all waters within the jurisdiction of this State, both tidal and nontidal, and the marginal sea adjacent to this State to a distance of three nautical miles from the shoreline.

(cf: P.L.1995, c.401, s.2)

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Authorizes special numbering for historic vessels.