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Senate passes boating‑safety and titling bill after debate on felony penalties and seizure authority
Summary
Senate Bill 213, which updates boating registration and titling rules and adds fraud and seizure provisions modeled on motor‑vehicle law, passed after exchanges over second‑degree felony penalties for registration/application fraud and seizure procedures; proponents said it targets organized theft and title laundering.
The Utah Senate passed a bill aligning boating title, registration and fraud provisions more closely with motor‑vehicle law, but not before a prolonged debate over criminal penalties and enforcement powers.
Sponsor Senator Swan said the measure updates boating statutes to allow titling of vessels, permit seizure or confiscation of boats suspected of being stolen, and adds fraud and falsification provisions. Several senators raised alarms that parts of the bill would make certain registration or application errors a second‑degree felony and that seizure authority could impose significant costs on vessel owners falsely identified as suspects.
Senator Hilliard read sections aloud and asked why a person could face second‑degree felony exposure for application misstatements; he urged caution about expanding felony coverage. Ted Woolley, who worked on the bill, told the Senate the changes mirror motor‑vehicle law and aim at criminal enterprises that steal or launder boats. He cited law‑enforcement work suggesting larger average values for stolen boats: “The average price of a stolen boat was $5,000,” Woolley said, arguing that penalties and seizure authority are tools for addressing organized theft and title laundering.
Opponents emphasized potential unintended consequences for small or older vessels, and questioned administrative burdens on owners to recover seized property and pay impound or transport costs. Sponsors responded that the language tracked existing motor‑vehicle statutes and described safeguards in judicial discretion and misdemeanor penalties for some failures to notify.
After committee testimony in a committee of the whole and floor discussion, the Senate called the question and recorded 17 ayes and 11 nays; the bill passed and will proceed on the calendar.
What’s next: The bill proceeds toward further reading and any House action; sponsors said guidance and clarification on exemptions and registration thresholds would be reviewed between second and third readings.
