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Montana committee hears safety concerns, proponent support for allowing nighttime tow sports
Summary
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee heard competing testimony on HB 930, which would permit towed water sports at night with a 15 mph limit and proposed illuminated life jackets for riders; Fish, Wildlife & Parks' enforcement chief opposed the bill on safety grounds, and the committee later moved the bill to the table during executive action.
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee on Tuesday heard divided testimony on House Bill 930, which would allow wakeboarding, wakesurfing and similar towed water sports at night while limiting towing speed to 15 miles per hour and (in a forthcoming amendment) requiring illuminated life jackets for riders.
The bill’s sponsor told the committee modern tow boats come with powerful lighting systems that illuminate wakes and riders and said a low speed limit plus illuminated life jackets would make the activity safe for summer evenings. A proponent, boater Brad Longcake, described expensive boats with underwater and tower lights that make the boat and wake visible for miles and urged the committee to pass the bill to allow families to use Montana waters later in the evening.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) opposed the measure on safety grounds. Ron Howell, Chief of Law Enforcement for FWP, testified that nighttime conditions reduce visual range and depth perception, make submerged hazards and logs harder to see, and that Montana has experienced serious boating accidents at night. Howell said game wardens do not typically carry radar guns to precisely measure a towed vessel’s speed, and he warned the committee that the department expects an increase in nighttime accidents and user conflicts if the bill passes.
Committee members questioned both the sponsor and FWP on enforcement and technical issues. FWP Enforcement Division Captain Phil Kilbreth explained federal and state navigation-lighting requirements (360-degree stern light plus red/green bow lights) and said the statutes do not specifically prohibit additional decorative or accent lighting. Sponsors and proponents cited onboard GPS speedometers and suggested officers could use other tools to assess towing speed, but Howell and Kilbreth emphasized practical limits for on-the-water enforcement at night.
The sponsor closed by reiterating the safety measures in the amendment (15 mph cap; illuminated life jackets) and urging a green vote. During later executive action the committee moved HB 930 to the table following roll-call and proxy votes. The tabling motion was recorded in committee minutes and the bill will not advance from this committee at this time.
The committee did not vote on substantive statutory language during the hearing; next steps will depend on whether the sponsor pursues amendments and whether the committee reconsiders the bill in a later session.
