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House rejects water-skiing bill after safety and interpretation debate
Summary
Lawmakers debated House Bill 569, a measure to expand water-skiing areas and allow a single driver and skier under safety conditions. Opponents raised concerns about outboard motors, platform requirements on older boats and overall safety; the bill failed on the floor.
The Idaho House on Feb. 11 debated and ultimately declined to pass House Bill 569, a proposal that would have expanded where and under what conditions a single driver could tow a water skier. The bill drew extended questioning on safety and on whether its language would unintentionally ban common outboard motor configurations.
Representative (presenter, S12) described HB 569 as a narrowly tailored measure requested by a water-skiing club to "open up our lakes" and allow skiers more room outside slalom courses. The sponsor said the bill would require the driver to have a driver's license in the single-driver scenario and would require a platform across the stern to allow a person to exit the water and re-board without assistance. The sponsor added the measure would apply for a limited time window — "from an hour before sunrise until 9AM during the summer." He said the change mirrored similar provisions in other states and intended to "make this a little just a little more safer endeavor."
Opponents questioned whether the platform requirement and the bill's phrasing would outlaw outboard motors; Representative (S13) argued that the text, as read, could be interpreted to prohibit outboard use and said he could not support the bill for that reason. Another member (S2) described a safety hazard if a large outboard motor rapidly revved while a swimmer was reboarding, saying it could create a dangerous suction and rapid, unforgiving motion. A colleague (S14) asked how the rule would work if a skier lost contact with the tow rope after a crash, and the sponsor said the requirement's spirit was to ensure a handle connection or other means for the driver to know the skier's position.
Supporters emphasized the bill's narrow scope: early-morning activity for a specific club and not a broad change to recreational boating. After extended floor debate and several members signaling opposition, the bill failed on the floor; the transcript records that "House Bill 5 69 has failed to pass the House and will be filed in the opposite." The transcript does not provide a clear, consistent roll-call tally for the final outcome in the recorded segments.
