A Florida Senate committee on Thursday advanced legislation that would restrict vessel inspections by law enforcement and prohibit local limits on watercraft based on how they are powered, marking continued momentum for a DeSantis-backed proposal aimed at expanding boating freedoms.
Senate Bill 1388, known as the “Boater Freedom Act,” passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government in an 11-0 vote. The measure prohibits officers from stopping or boarding a vessel solely to inspect for safety or marine sanitation equipment unless they have probable cause or specific knowledge of a violation. It classifies such violations as secondary offenses, preventing them from serving as the sole basis for a stop.
“You don’t need to be driving an electric boat if you don’t want to,” DeSantis said during a February press conference promoting the measure. “You have the ability to do gas. And we want to be able to preserve your freedom to be able to do that.”
A new Florida Freedom Boater Decal would be issued to vessels at registration, confirming compliance with safety requirements and potentially decreasing the need for random stops.
“People who are just out enjoying themselves when there’s no indication that anything is wrong, they should not be subjected to these intensive searches,” the governor also said in February. “This is a fair and balanced approach. If somebody’s breaking the law, they will be held accountable. But if you’re pulled over while you’re in a boat, it just has to be a reason. You can’t just do it for for kicks. There’s got to be a reason.”
A separate section, titled the “Watercraft Energy Source Freedom Act,” would bar state and local governments from restricting the use or sale of boats based on whether they are powered by gasoline, diesel, electricity, hydrogen, or solar energy.
If signed into law, the measure would take effect July 1.
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