NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8626
SPONSOR: Mikulin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the navigation law, in relation to requiring pontoon
boat rental businesses to equip all pontoon boats available for rent
with a safety ladder
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Requires pontoon boat rental businesses to equip all pontoon boats
available to rent with a safety ladder
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amend by adding a new section 44-a Meaning of terms No entity
makes available for rent a pontoon boat that is not equipped with a
safety ladder Failure to properly equip a pontoon boat with a safety
ladder with a safety ladder will result in a violation Effect date
JUSTIFICATION:
In the event that a person falls out of a pontoon boat it is imperative
that a safety ladder be on the boat in order to assist the individual in
reentering the boat. Without a safety ladder individuals could be
stranded without help in the water.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
Effective immediately, the department of parks, recreation and historic
preservation is authorized to promulgate, amend and/or repeal any rule
or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on or before
such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8626
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MIKULIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the navigation law, in relation to requiring pontoon
boat rental businesses to equip all pontoon boats available for rent
with a safety ladder
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The navigation law is amended by adding a new section 44-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 44-a. Safety ladders equipped on pontoon boat rentals. 1. For the
4 purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
5 meanings:
6 (a) "Pontoon boat" means a boat:
7 (i) floated by two bullet shaped pontoons;
8 (ii) containing no inboard motors; and
9 (iii) not exceeding twenty-four feet in length, as measured from end
10 to end on the pontoon.
11 (b) "Pontoon boat rental business" means a business that offers
12 pontoon boats for rent to the general public, but shall not include an
13 individual who allows another individual to use their boat for personal
14 relationships and without compensation.
15 (c) "Safety ladder" means any ladder that is not in the form of ropes,
16 that is affixed to a pontoon boat and which is designed and manufactured
17 in accordance with the standards and guidelines established by the
18 department of parks, recreation and historic preservation.
19 2. No person, corporation, partnership, or limited liability company
20 which is the owner of a pontoon boat rental boat business shall knowing-
21 ly rent or make available for rent a pontoon boat that is not equipped
22 with a safety ladder.
23 3. Failure to properly equip a pontoon boat with a safety ladder prior
24 to the rental of such boat shall result in a warning for a first noted
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11776-01-5
A. 8626 2
1 violation, while each subsequent violation of this section shall result
2 in a fine of five hundred dollars per violation.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
4 law. Effective immediately, the department of parks, recreation and
5 historic preservation is authorized to promulgate, amend and/or repeal
6 any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on
7 or before such effective date.
