Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13071-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §384 and affected by §422, is amended to read:

1. Operating personal watercraft while underage. A person under 16 years of age may not operate a personal watercraft unless the person is 12 to 15 years of age and has satisfactorily completed a boating safety education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators or a successor organization. A person 12 to 15 years of age who is permitted to operate a personal watercraft under this subsection must possess proof of age and proof of satisfactory completion of a boating safety education course approved pursuant to this subsection while operating a personal watercraft and shall produce this proof upon request of a game warden or law enforcement officer authorized to enforce the State's watercraft laws.

A. A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged.

B. A person who violates this subsection after having been adjudicated as having committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year period commits a Class E crime.

SUMMARY

This bill requires persons 12 to 15 years of age to satisfactorily complete a boating safety education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators in order to operate a personal watercraft. A person 12 to 15 years of age who has satisfactorily completed an approved boating safety education course is required to possess proof of completion and proof of age while operating a personal watercraft and produce this proof upon request of a game warden or law enforcement officer authorized to enforce the State's watercraft laws.