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Maine committee hears bill to match Coast Guard: require PFDs for children under 13
Summary
The Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee took public testimony on LD 10 42, which would require all passengers under 13 on recreational watercraft to wear U.S. Coast Guard–approved personal flotation devices. Supporters urged alignment with federal guidance; the Department flagged drafting inconsistencies and enforcement questions.
Representative Lisonbee Hepler, sponsor of LD 10 42, told the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee that the bill would place into statute a requirement that “children who have not attained the age of 13” wear U.S. Coast Guard–approved personal flotation devices while on recreational watercraft.
The bill, Hepler said, is intended to bring Maine into alignment with 33 CFR 175.25 and to make enforcement simpler by matching federal language. “PFDs save lives,” Hepler said, citing U.S. Coast Guard national statistics showing drowning as the leading known cause of fatal boating accidents and that 87 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
Supporters at the public hearing said the change is practical and long overdue. Pete Asquith, a certified boating instructor, told lawmakers he “cannot remember a class where I have not been asked why the state of Maine requirements for wearing a PFD are less than the Coast Guard's” and argued that raising the required age would likely prevent child drownings.
Several other instructors and longtime boaters—Jim Williams, Owen Williams and Clinton Thompson—testified in favor, noting modern life jackets are lighter and more available than older models and urging the committee to adopt the Coast Guard benchmark so Maine families and rental operators have consistent rules.
The Maine Warden Service and Department of Marine Resources were represented by Lieutenant Jason Luce, who testified neither for nor against the bill and flagged drafting issues. Luce said the bill text could be read to exclude child operators and noted federal regulations include certain exceptions (for example, when children are below deck or in enclosed cabins) that Maine's current rules and drafting do not mirror. He recommended clarifying whether the requirement applies when a child is the operator and aligning statutory language with the Coast Guard exceptions.
Committee members pressed on enforcement and data. Representative Rick Mason asked whether national drowning figures include children; Hepler said she did not have state-level age breakdowns available but would try to obtain age-specific drowning statistics for the committee's work session. Representative Mike Lance asked whether all life preservers in common use are Coast Guard approved; instructors said the law requires Coast Guard–approved PFDs and advised boaters to check labels and remove packaging that may obscure certification marks.
No committee vote occurred. The public hearing record on LD 10 42 closed after multiple supporters and department representatives testified. The sponsor and some committee members indicated they will work on clarifying language and seek additional data to bring to the work session.
The committee’s questions and the department’s written comments focused on drafting precision and on aligning statutory language and regulatory exceptions with federal guidance rather than on the policy's underlying safety rationale.
A work session was signaled by committee members to follow; the sponsor offered to cooperate on amendments to address the department’s drafting concerns.
