[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 16 (Thursday, January 26, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E184-E185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      INTRODUCTION OF THE RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY ACT OF 1995

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                            HON. JACK FIELDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 25, 1995
  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, safety is the primary concern of 
the millions of recreational boaters across this Nation. The bill I am 
introducing today would increase the level of safety enjoyed by 
recreational boaters by increasing the penalties for boating while 
intoxicated [BWI], requiring children to wear personal flotation 
devices onboard vessels and personal watercraft, and requiring the 
Coast Guard to develop plans related to mandatory boating education and 
certification, and boating accident reporting.
  Mr. Speaker, during the last Congress, the Merchant Marine and 
Fisheries Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation conducted an 
oversight hearing on the National Transportation Safety Board's [NTSB] 
recreational boating safety study. In that study, NTSB found that 
alcohol use was involved in at least half of all boating accidents and 
that 85 percent of those who drown in recreational boating accidents 
were not wearing personal flotation devices [PFD's].
  In their conclusions, NTSB recommended that comprehensive BWI laws be 
implemented, that minimum recreational boating safety standards be 
established, and that information about fatal or serious boating 
accidents be submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard.
  I support many of the recommendations of the National Transportation 
Safety Board and have incorporated some of their suggestions within 
this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, section 2 of my bill would reduce boating deaths and 
serious accidents related to alcohol use. Section 2 requires the Coast 
Guard to develop a program in cooperation with State officials to 
reduce boating accidents by concentrating enforcement of BWI laws in 
areas where many boating accidents have occurred. Several States have 
implemented successful programs of this type, and national cooperative 
effort would reduce boating accidents across the Nation.
  Section 3 and 4 are related to the use of personal floatation devices 
onboard recreational boats and personal watercraft. Section 3 requires 
children 12 years of age and younger to wear personal floatation 
devices, unless they are in enclosed cabins on the boat. Section 4 
requires the Coast Guard to submit to Congress a plan to approve full 
inflationable life jackets for use by certain individuals under 
appropriate conditions.
  According to Texas State boating officials, 71 people drowned in 
boating accidents in our State last year. Based on their educated 
analysis, these boating officials believe that more than 50 percent of 
those Americans would not have lost their lives if they had been 
wearing personal floatation devices.
  Sections 5 and 6 would improve the information that is received by 
Federal and State boating officials on recreational boating accidents. 
Section 5 implements a recent suggestion by the National Transportation 
Safety Board and requires the Coast Guard to implement an information 
system for boating accident information similar to the one presently 
[[Page E185]] operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration that compiles highway accident information. Section 6 
requires the Coast Guard to submit a plan to appropriate congressional 
committees to increase reporting of boating accidents nationally.
  Sections 7 and 8 of my bill require mandatory boating safety 
education under certain circumstances. Section 7 requires individuals 
who violate the BWI laws to complete a boating safety course that is 
acceptable to the Coast Guard. Section 8 requires the Coast Guard to 
develop a plan for education and certification of individuals who 
operate recreational vessels. After we have experience with this 
program nationally, we may find that we can increase the age of 
individuals subject to these education requirements to gradually 
educate the entire boating public.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill contains extremely valuable changes to the 
laws designed to protect the safety of our waterways. I urge my 
colleagues to support early action on this important piece of 
legislation so that we can help to ensure that more people do not lose 
their lives on our Nation's waterways.


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