Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Marine Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Marine Patrol asks for statutory clean‑up to streamline enforcement and avoid court burden
Summary
Marine Patrol requested HB1837 to add default fines for watercraft violations that currently lack a stated penalty, shift operator responsibility for passengers riding bows/gunnels, correct mooring fee cross‑references, and repeal obsolete education clauses. Patrol said courts and defendants are incurring delay because many minor boating violations lack specified fines.
Representative McDonald introduced HB1837 at the request of the New Hampshire Marine Patrol. Captain Tim Dunlevy and Marine Patrol staff characterized the bill as an operational housekeeping package intended to reduce court backlogs and improve enforcement efficiency.
Marine Patrol described a recurring problem: several boating violations lack a statutory fine, requiring individual court determinations and, in many cases, requiring defendants to appear for arraignment simply to learn the fine amount. Patrol asked that the statute include a default, minimal fine where none now exists (mirroring motor‑vehicle practice) so defendants may enter a written plea with payment and avoid unnecessary court appearances.
The bill also proposes that the operator, not a passenger, be responsible when a person rides a gunnel, transom or bow, aligning liability with motor‑vehicle practice and making enforcement simpler (especially when passengers are juveniles). Captain Dunlevy also asked for correction of an inconsistent cross‑reference for mooring fees and repeal of two obsolete education‑related clauses now superseded by broader boat education requirements.
Marine Patrol asked for an immediate effective date on passage to relieve court workload without delay. Committee members asked clarifying implementation questions; sponsor and Patrol staff said the changes are practical and non‑controversial.
Ending: Committee took testimony; sponsor indicated an amendment would be filed to align mooring statutes with other pending mooring‑fee language.
