Bad Boating Bill

Bad Boating Bill

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If passed, Florida Senate Bill 1388/ House Bill 1001 (entitled “Vessels”) could undermine vital safety and environmental protections for boaters and Florida’s waterways. 

Fecal bacteria is one of the leading causes of pollution in Florida waters. One way that the state combats this issue is by tasking Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) officers with inspecting live-aboard vessels to make sure that they are not dumping raw sewage into our waterways. If passed, SB 1388/ HB 1001 would make it significantly more difficult for FWCC officers to enforce sanitation standards by prohibiting them from boarding vessels to conduct ...

If passed, Florida Senate Bill 1388/ House Bill 1001 (entitled “Vessels”) could undermine vital safety and environmental protections for boaters and Florida’s waterways. 

Fecal bacteria is one of the leading causes of pollution in Florida waters. One way that the state combats this issue is by tasking Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) officers with inspecting live-aboard vessels to make sure that they are not dumping raw sewage into our waterways. If passed, SB 1388/ HB 1001 would make it significantly more difficult for FWCC officers to enforce sanitation standards by prohibiting them from boarding vessels to conduct these inspections without probable cause of an additional offense. These bills would also limit officers’ ability to conduct safety checks on vessels, to ensure that all required safety equipment is on board.

Another way that FWCC works to protect our waterways is by enforcing boating restricted areas in environmentally sensitive waterways, such as manatee congregation areas or places where seagrass restoration is taking place. This bill would eliminate the ability of FWCC and local governments to prohibit motorized vessel traffic in areas where they would damage or destroy sensitive ecological resources.  

Finally, an amendment was added to the bill to make it more difficult for FWCC to establish 'Springs Protection Zones,' which preserve and restore fragile springs ecosystems. 

We need your voice to protect public safety and the environment! Contact the governor today and urge him to oppose SB 1388/ HB 1001. Florida’s waterways deserve better. Speak up now for safer, cleaner waters!

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Tell the Governor to veto Senate Bill 1388

Senate Bill 1388 (entitled 'Vessels') is headed to the Governor's desk, so take action NOW!

It only takes a couple of minutes to email Governor DeSenatis to urge him to VETO SB 1388. 

Customized emails are more impactful. You can include things like:

  • The importance of FWCC officer's ability to enforce boating safety and environmental protections
  • The need to regulate vessel traffic in environmentally sensitive areas
  • Descriptions of instances where vessels have dumped raw sewage or destroyed seagrass in waterways in your community

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  • Don't forget to include the name and numbers for the bill.
  • Clearly state how you are urging them to vote (Example: "Veto this bill because...")
  • Keep it short. There is no need to write a whole essay. A few sentences will do. 
  • Make it personal. Elected officials tend to ignore emails that are copied and pasted from 100s of people. Add a personal touch like a story or how this bill would impact your community. 

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