AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, relative to boating permits for exempt vessels.
SB0759 amends Tennessee’s boating laws to require a permit for certain “exempt vessels” operating on the state’s intrastate waters. The bill defines an exempt vessel as one that is not required to be numbered in Tennessee solely because it already has a valid number from another state’s federally approved numbering system. Under the bill, a person may not operate, or allow the operation of, such a vessel on Tennessee intrastate waters without first purchasing an exempt vessel permit.
The permit would cost $72 initially, be renewed annually, and be sold through the same channels used for other licenses administered by the agency. The bill directs all permit revenue into the boating safety fund, where it must be used only for the administration and operation of the commission’s programs and responsibilities under the boating chapter. It also authorizes agents to sell the permits and gives the fish and wildlife commission rulemaking authority over the permit’s design, cost, duration, issuance, administration, and sale, including the ability to adjust the fee.
The bill’s impact is to add a new compliance requirement for out-of-state registered boats that are otherwise exempt from Tennessee numbering rules, while creating a new dedicated revenue stream for boating safety and related agency operations. It would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, and take effect for rulemaking immediately upon becoming law, with the operational provisions taking effect January 1, 2026.
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable sentiment. The Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee recommended passage unanimously, 9-0, and there is no recorded committee opposition in the materials provided. The absence of transcript discussion limits insight into detailed debate, but the committee vote indicates broad support at that stage.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record. Potential issues implied by the bill itself could include the added cost for boat owners who already have valid out-of-state registration and the scope of the commission’s authority to set and adjust fees, but no formal objections are shown in the available context.
The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, by creating a new permit requirement for exempt vessels operating on Tennessee intrastate waters. It would impose a $72 annual permit fee, direct the revenue to the boating safety fund, and authorize the fish and wildlife commission to adopt rules governing the permit program and adjust the fee as allowed by law. The measure affects boat owners with out-of-state numbered vessels and expands the state’s administrative and funding framework for boating regulation.
The bill appears to have received favorable treatment in committee, with the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voting 9-0 to recommend passage and refer it onward. No opposing votes or negative remarks are included in the provided materials, suggesting general support or at least no visible resistance at the committee stage.
No explicit contention is documented in the provided transcripts or vote record. The most likely areas for debate, based on the bill text, are the new annual cost imposed on owners of exempt vessels, whether Tennessee should require a separate permit for boats already registered in another state, and the breadth of the commission’s authority to set permit details and adjust fees. However, the available record does not show any formal opposition or disputed amendments.