HB 1423 creates a new set of definitions and operating rules for wake boarding and wake surfing on Indiana waters, with a focus on public freshwater lakes and small lakes. The bill defines both activities in statute, then prohibits wake boarding or wake surfing on a public freshwater lake between sunset and sunrise. It also provides that existing small-lake speed exemptions and rules adopted before July 1, 2025, continue to apply to wake boarding and wake surfing.
The bill further amends boating safety provisions to specifically address wake surfing equipment and boat configurations. It prohibits operating a motorboat with an outboard motor or outdrive unit that has a propeller extending past the transom, swim platform, boarding platform, swim step, or swim ladder for the purpose of wake surfing. It also adds wake boarding and wake surfing violations to the list of offenses punishable as Class C infractions, with knowing or intentional violations of certain rule provisions remaining a Class C misdemeanor.
Impact
HB 1423 would amend Indiana Code chapters governing natural and cultural resources and boating safety, adding new statutory definitions and restrictions that apply to wake boarding and wake surfing. It would expand the state’s regulation of motorboat use on public freshwater lakes and small lakes, and it would make violations of the new wake-related restrictions enforceable through existing infraction and misdemeanor penalties. The bill would directly affect boat operators, lake users, and local rulemaking under the small-lake exemption framework.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to be regulatory and safety-oriented rather than overtly partisan. The bill is framed as a targeted response to wake sports activity, suggesting support for clearer operating rules and lake-use restrictions. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote outcomes are provided in the materials, so there is no documented split in sentiment to report.
Contention
The main points of contention likely concern access and safety tradeoffs: supporters would favor restrictions to reduce shoreline erosion, noise, and hazards to swimmers and other boaters, while opponents may view the bill as limiting recreational boating and wake sports on public lakes. The specific prohibition on wake surfing with certain outboard or outdrive configurations, and the nighttime ban on public freshwater lakes, are the most restrictive provisions and would likely be the focus of debate among boaters, lake associations, and local governments. However, no committee transcript or vote record is provided to identify any expressed positions by named stakeholders.
To Amend The Law Concerning The Collection Of Sales And Use Tax On The Sale Of A New Or Used Motorboat; And To Provide For The Direct Payment Of Sales And Use Tax On A Motorboat Sold By A Motorboat Dealer.
To Amend The Law Concerning The Collection Of Sales And Use Tax On The Sale Of A New Or Used Motorboat; And To Provide For The Direct Payment Of Sales And Use Tax On A Motorboat Sold By A Motorboat Dealer.
To Amend The Law Concerning The Collection Of Sales And Use Tax On Motor Vehicles, Trailers, Semitrailers, And Motorboats, As Affirmed By Referred Act 19 Of 1958; And To Subject Certain Used Motorboats To A Special Rate Of Tax.