Authorizes the collection of a small additional fee, in addition to the registration fee paid by motorboat owners, to be deposited in a restricted account, in order to fund the newly established freshwater lake management program.
Summary
H5341 amends Rhode Island’s motorboat registration law to add a small additional biennial fee to each motorboat registration, or a prorated annual fee for vessels that elect annual registration. The bill keeps the existing registration fee schedule in place, but directs the extra $5 biennial charge, or $2.50 annual charge, into a new restricted receipt account called the Rhode Island lake management program fund.
The fund is created within the freshwater lake management program chapter and is intended to support implementation of that program under rules adopted by the Department of Environmental Management. In practical terms, the bill links boat registration revenue to freshwater lake preservation and management efforts, while leaving the rest of the boat-numbering and registration framework unchanged.
Impact
The bill amends § 46-22-4 of the General Laws to impose a dedicated surcharge on motorboat registrations and adds § 46-33-3 to establish a restricted receipt account for those revenues. It affects motorboat owners statewide, with the fee collected by the Department of Environmental Management and earmarked for freshwater lake management purposes rather than the general fund. The measure does not change vessel numbering rules, reciprocity, ownership transfer requirements, or other core registration procedures, but it does create a new funding stream for lake-related environmental programs.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears generally administrative and program-supportive rather than controversial. The bill is framed as a modest user fee intended to fund freshwater lake management, which suggests an environmental and conservation-oriented purpose. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote history to indicate broader legislative sentiment beyond the bill’s straightforward funding rationale.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the new surcharge on motorboat owners, since it adds a dedicated cost to registration even though the amount is relatively small. Supporters are likely to view the fee as a targeted way to pay for lake preservation and management by the users who benefit from freshwater access, while opponents could object to any increase in boating costs or question whether a restricted fee is the best funding mechanism. Because no hearing transcript or vote record is available, no specific legislator or stakeholder objections are documented.
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.