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House OKs minimum liability insurance for personal watercraft after technical amendment
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 52 (43–27) to require minimum liability insurance for personal watercraft and to obligate renters and rental businesses to maintain coverage; floor discussion covered policy limits, seasonality and potential costs.
Senate Bill 52 would require personal watercraft owners and rental businesses to maintain minimum liability insurance limits to cover injuries and property damage caused by operation of the craft. The sponsor explained the policy was prompted by a recent fatality and an observed pattern of uninsured personal watercraft causing severe losses.
The bill’s committee report included minimum suggested limits (for example, $25,000 per person, $50,000 per occurrence, and $15,000 property damage), and the sponsor said such coverage is available in the marketplace. House members questioned whether snowmobiles or other recreational vehicles are covered similarly; the sponsor and other members clarified that carriage under homeowners policies varies and that jet-ski–type craft often require separate underwriting.
A technical amendment corrected an administrative citation (administrative rulemaking act reference) and a friendly amendment clarified application to mixed-use buildings; sponsors described those as noncontroversial fixes. Several members declared conflicts of interest when insurance industry ties were present.
The House voted to adopt the amendment and passed SB52 as amended, 43 yes to 27 no. The bill will be sent back to the Senate for further action.
What’s next: Implementation will involve registration and proof-of-insurance requirements; the House adopted the bill with technical fixes and noted that insurance products are available seasonally and by underwriting.
