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House committee hears FWP-backed bill to update boating rules, drop validation decal
Summary
A House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee hearing on HB 468 focused on aligning Montana boating law with federal rules: removing the state validation decal, updating navigation and life-jacket language, raising the accident-reporting threshold to $2,000 and repealing an inactive advisory council. FWP recommended a due pass.
Representative Steve Kelly, sponsor of House Bill 468, told the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee the bill is a departmental “cleanup” intended to align state boating statutes with federal navigation and safety standards. "This is essentially a cleanup bill for the Department of Fish and Wildlife," Kelly said in opening remarks.
The bill would remove Montana’s free boat validation decal requirement after the U.S. Coast Guard informed the department that its prior validation approach no longer met federal requirements, according to Phil Kilbreath of FWP’s law…
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