Committee considers FWP cleanup bill to modernize boat validation rules and raise accident threshold

Representative introduced House Bill 468 as a cleanup measure for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Phil Kilbreth, FWP's boating law administrator, explained that the U.S. Coast Guard no longer considers Montana's free validation decals compliant with federal rules and that the department is proposing to discontinue the free three‑year decal process rather than reinstate semiannual registration. "We are not advocating for any additional fees," Kilbreth said, explaining that boats would retain permanent registration and a hull/MT number that would be used to verify registration.

Kilbreth also said the bill clarifies passing and right-of-way language to be consistent with federal navigation rules, updates life‑jacket requirements for personal watercraft and increases the accident reporting damage threshold from $100 to $2,000 to reflect current boat values; he noted that accident reports will still be filed for insurance purposes if an owner seeks a claim.

Committee members asked for clarification on whether decals would be reissued and how officers would confirm registration without free stickers; Kilbreth said the permanent registration number (the MT hull number) would be used as the equivalent of a license plate. The sponsor closed by asking for a DO PASS, describing the changes as routine updates to align state law with federal guidance. The hearing ended without a committee vote recorded on the transcript.