Committee delays vote on bill requiring personal watercraft owners to carry liability insurance after debate

Senate Bill 918, as amended, which would require owners of personal watercraft (PWCs) to carry personal liability insurance, was discussed April 16 in the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee and then moved to the next finance meeting for further work.

Senator Campbell, sponsor of SB 918, framed the bill as a safety measure to respond to an uptick in boating incidents and to honor the late Roy Herron. He cited Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency data that, according to his remarks, showed boating incidents are up 28% since the pandemic (about 600 incidents in four years) and that personal watercraft accounted for a large share of serious injuries and deaths.

Committee members raised several concerns at length: whether the bill singles out PWCs while exempting other watercraft, whether the insurance mandate should fall on owners or operators, and whether the bill conflicts with a House provision focused on operator age limits. Senator Rose said he would vote no, arguing the bill unfairly singles out PWCs. Senator Yager questioned whether motor-vehicle-level liability mandates are appropriate for watercraft and raised affordability and mandate concerns.

The sponsor said he would work with House members and asked the committee to delay final action. The committee accepted a motion to roll SB 918 to the next finance meeting so the sponsor and other members can reconcile differences between the Senate and House approaches.

No final passage vote was recorded on SB 918 in this session of the committee; the bill will return to committee for additional consideration.