AB74: Bill Text

LRB-0839/1

MGG:jld:pg

2001 - 2002 LEGISLATURE

2001 Assembly BILL 74

February 1, 2001 - Introduced by Representatives Schneider, Huebsch, Boyle and Williams. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AB74,1,3 An Act to renumber and amend 30.69 (1) (a); and to create 30.69 (1) (a) 1m. of the statutes; relating to: requiring persons on motorboats for the purpose of observing water skiers.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, no person may operate a motorboat to tow a water skier without having another person on board the motorboat to observe the progress of the water skier. Under this bill, an operator of a motorboat is exempt from this requirement during the months of October through April if the operator has a mirror on the boat that allows the operator to safely observe the progress of the water skier.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB74, s. 1 Section 1. 30.69 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 30.69 (1) (a) 1. and amended to read:

AB74,2,5 30.69 (1) (a) 1. Except as provided in par. (b) subd. 1m., no person may operate a motorboat towing a person on water skis, aquaplane or similar device unless there is in the boat a competent person in addition to the operator in a position to observe the progress of the person being towed. An observer shall be considered competent if that person can in fact observe the person being towed and relay any signals to the operator. This observer requirement does not apply to motorboats classified as Class A motorboats by the department actually operated by the persons being towed and so constructed as to be incapable of carrying the operator in or on the motorboat.

AB74,2,9 2. No person may engage in water skiing, aquaplaning or similar activity, at any time from sunset to sunrise. This restriction of the hours of water skiing does not prevent restrictions of the hours of water skiing between sunrise and sunset by local ordinances enacted pursuant to s. 30.77 (3).

AB74, s. 2 Section 2. 30.69 (1) (a) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB74,2,15 30.69 (1) (a) 1m. During the period beginning on October 1 and ending on the following April 30, a person may operate a motorboat towing a person on water skis, an aquaplane, or a similar device without having an observer as required under subd. 1. if the motorboat is equipped with a mirror that allows the operator of the motorboat to safely observe the progress of the person being towed.

AB74,2,16 (End)