Hodge podge? Travis Hutson carries ‘agency package’ for Fish and Wildlife Commission

Northeast Florida state Sen. Travis Hutson acknowledges that to the untrained eye, SB 1086 could potentially look like a “hodge podge” of unrelated concerns.

The sprawling bill’s topics extend from tightening statutory language on drunken boating to negotiating exit and entry from space travel.

But the St. Johns County Republican’s bill is one of the biggest so-called “agency bills” in recent years for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with a number of key provisions emerging from their meetings last year, along with some cleanup language long overdue for implementation.

Among the reforms the sweeping legislation contemplates: Enhanced penalties for drunken or impaired boating. What once was classified as a misdemeanor without degree is now a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Also in the legislation is implied consent to biometric tests for those boating, if they are suspected of impaired operation. Refusal to submit to testing would be another misdemeanor of the first degree.

Provisions for temporary protection zones for space flight launches and reentry/recovery are also contemplated. Those would be no less than 500 yards away from the spot, with the local sheriff coordinating the effort.

The bill also contemplates a definition for “human powered vessels,” giving explicit statutory jurisdiction over rowboats and the like.

Requirements for boating safety identification cards likewise are in the bill, offering yet another way of establishing authority over the state’s waterways.

And also advanced: a mechanism for removal of derelict vessels, a current gray area in Florida state statute that has created the problem of abandoned or otherwise hazardous boats.

A House companion to Hutson’s Senate bill has yet to manifest at this writing.

A statement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission underscored the urgency of the legislation.

“SB 1086, Operation and Safety of Motor Vehicles and Vessels, is part of FWC’s agency package for the 2021 Session. Florida is the boating capital of the world and boasts the highest number of registered recreational vessels in the nation. This comprehensive piece of legislation is aimed at boating safety and overall boating improvements to ensure that Florida’s waters are safe for our boating public. We will continue working though the legislative process with this important piece of legislation and will provide additional information as we continue through the process,” affirmed Susan Neel, the FWC’s Community Relations Director.