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Area Coordinator: Nick Tarlson, N-LLP |
State Liaison: Tom Nunes |
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Arizona Coast Guard Auxiliary District: 11SR Coast Guard District: 11
First Quarter Report, 2008: Megans Law: LLO met with Rep. Tom concerning Megan’s Law. This bill would require Carbon Monoxide warning decals on boats and make unlawful behaviors such as teak surfing, swimming when engines are running, etc. Megans Law Testimony: LLO testified before the Environment Committee on 30 January concerning this bill. The bill passed committee 9-1. Others who testified included the parents of Megan Evans, the child who was lost due to CO poisoning at Lake Powell in 2007, and Dr. R. Barron, MD, Lake Powell Emergency Medical Services, an authority on CO poisoning. AZ Game & Fish did not testify since the Commission has not yet taken a position on the bill. LLO was ask the following questions and responded as indicated: Q. Does the Coast Guard have any recommendations for stickers? A. The Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety has designs for CO stickers on their website. (N.B. They asked that I provide the URL.) Q. How much do stickers cost? A. I do not know. (N.B. Anthony Guiles, Legislative Liaison for AZ Game & Fish after the hearing told me he estimated the charge to be about $35,000 and not an issue with AZ G&F.) Q. Where should stickers be placed on a boat. Having them at the rear is ok for swimmers, etc. What about near the operator’s position? A. I’m not the person to address that issue. Others with more knowledge about operator behavior would better to answer that question. Q. Shouldn’t the operator know about CO? A. Yes, the operator needs to be aware of his environment both ahead and astern, to port and to starboard. Q. What is the Coast Guard doing at the national level concerning CO? A. The Coast Guard has had some regulatory changes on boats. For example, the exhaust has been changed from water level to a stack on house boats. The rulemaking process is deliberate since it needs to incorporate views of all concerned. Q. Do you incorporate CO training in your boating safety classes and how much? A. Yes, it’s contained in a 45 minute module. LLO prepared testimony concerning S.B. 1080, “Operating Under the Influence (OUI) Watercraft”. As of 7 March, said testimony has not been approved by Coast Guard legal. AZ Department of Game & Fish may “pull” this bill since in committee changes have been made to water down the legislation. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fourth Quarter Report, 2007: Two bills involving recreational boating safety are making their way through the Arizona legislature. One involves a major change to operating under the influence statutes concerning boating that would have the laws concerning boating OUI follow the Arizona DUI law concerning driving a motor vehicle. This would have the effect of mirroring Title 28 (motor vehicle laws) DUI laws and fines on the OUI side of Title 5 (boating laws). Presumably, this would require interlock devices on boats. Arizona DUI law now requires all DUI offenders to install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles for at least one year after regaining their driving privileges. Prior to the signing of this new DUI law in Arizona, ignition interlocks were required in the vehicles of repeat DUI offenders or those convicted of extreme or aggravated DUI. The second, the ‘Megan Evans” bill would require mandatory warning stickers to be affixed to boats warning of the dangers of CO and would required distribution of CO warning brochures to the boating public. If enacted, the bill would also make illegal various activities at the stern of a boat while the engine is running. Details are evolving on each of these bills. For example, with respect to the Megan Evans bill, questions concerning generator exhaust surface. To support our partners in Boating Safety, Arizona Game & Fish Department, LLO Tom Nunes has requested permission to testify at appropriate hearing(s) that will be conducted by the Arizona Senate and House during 2008 The Arizona legislature often calls hearings with little or no notice. Given adequate time, draft testimony will be submitted to DCO, DIRAUX, and others. In any case, I will adhere to the requirements of Article i5.C.2.b(3) of the Auxiliary Manual concerning reports. Mr. Nunes served as Deputy Chief of Congressional Affairs and Governmental Affairs in Coast Guard Headquarters and as Manager, Congressional Affairs for TriWest Health Care Alliance. He has served as the Arizona Legislative Liaison Officer and State Liaison Officer since 1 January 2007. Third Quarter Report, 2007:
No boating-related legislative activity reported this quarter.
Second Quarter Report, 2007:
No boating-related legislative activity reported this quarter.
First Quarter Report, 2007: Representative Trish Gore (R- Lake Havasu City), a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, has stated that she will introduce legislation requiring all operators of personal watercraft to complete a boating safety education. Updated Tuesday July 01, 2008 | |
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