WEST virginia legislature

2019 regular session

ENROLLED

House Bill 2716

By Delegates Harshbarger, Worrell, McGeehan, Westfall, Miller, Swartzmiller, Atkinson, Kessinger, Cadle, Cooper and Porterfield

[Passed March 8, 2019; in effect ninety days from passage.]

AN ACT to amend and reenact §20-7-13 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to vessel lighting and equipment requirements.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOTORBOATING, LITTER.

§20-7-13. Motorboat classification; required lights and equipment; rules and regulations; pilot rules.

 (a) Vessels on the waters of this state are subject to lighting requirements, equipment requirements, and pilot and navigation rules, as contained in the federal navigation laws and rules promulgated by the United States Coast Guard pursuant to 33 C.F.R. Subchapter E et seq. Inland Navigation Rules, as authorized by 46 U.S.C. §4302.

(b) Vessels on the waters of this state are subject to ventilation requirements as contained in federal navigation laws and rules promulgated by the United States Coast Guard pursuant to 46 C.F.R. §25.40 et seq., as authorized by 6 U.S.C. §4302.

 (c) The director may promulgate rules in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code modifying the equipment requirements contained in this section to the extent necessary to keep these requirements in conformity with the provisions of the federal navigation laws or with the navigation rules promulgated by the United States Coast Guard.

 (d) The director may promulgate rules in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code, pilot rules in conformity with the pilot rules contained in the federal navigation laws, or the navigation rules promulgated by the United States Coast Guard for the operation of vessels on the waters of this state.

 (e) No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of a vessel which is not equipped as required by this section or modification thereof.