HB-4140,As Passed House, Mar 18, 2003

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 4140

                                                                             A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding section 44520a.                        

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1   Sec. 44520a.  (1) An owner of a nonmotorized livery boat is                 

2   not liable for an injury to or the death of a user of the                   

3   nonmotorized livery boat resulting from a risk inherent in the              

4   use or operation of a nonmotorized livery boat.                             

5       (2) As used in this section:                                                

6       (a) "Owner of a nonmotorized livery boat" means the person                  

7   who owns the nonmotorized livery boat, the boat livery that                 

8   rents, leases, or furnishes the nonmotorized livery boat for use,           

9   or an employee or agent of the owner or boat livery.                        

10      (b) "Risk inherent in the use or operation of a nonmotorized                

11  livery boat" means a danger or condition that is an integral part           

House Bill 4140 (H-2) as amended March 18, 2003

1   of the use or operation of a nonmotorized livery boat that is               

2   limited to 1 or more of the following:                                      

3                                                                                (i) Wave or other water motion.                                                     

4       (ii) Weather conditions.                                                     

5       (iii) Contact or maneuvers necessary to avoid contact with                   

6   another vessel or a manmade object in or near the water.                    

7       (iv) Contact or maneuvers necessary to avoid contact with                    

8   rock, sand, vegetation, or other natural objects in or near the             

9   water.                                                                      

10      (v) Malfunction of equipment, except for equipment owned by                 

11  the owner of a nonmotorized livery boat.                                    

12      (vi) Failure to use or wear a personal flotation device or to                

13  have lifesaving equipment available, except if the owner of a               

14  nonmotorized livery boat failed to provide the personal flotation           

15  device or lifesaving equipment when required by law or regulation           

16  to do so.                                                                   

17      (vii) The actions of a vessel operator, except if the owner                  

18  of a nonmotorized livery boat leased or rented the livery boat to           

19  an operator who the owner knew or in the exercise of reasonable             

20  care should have known was disqualified by law or regulation from           

21  operating the livery boat.                                                  

22      (viii) Having a number of persons in excess of the maximum                    

23  number approved for the livery boat on board, except if the owner           

24  of a nonmotorized livery boat knowingly allowed the livery boat             

25  to leave the boat livery's premises with a number of persons in             

26  excess of the maximum number approved for the livery boat on                

27  board or did not properly inform the user of the maximum [weight or] number

1   of persons approved for the livery boat.                                    

2       (c) "User of the nonmotorized livery boat" means a person who               

3   participates in the use or operation of the nonmotorized livery             

4   boat regardless of whether the person rented or leased the                  

5   nonmotorized livery boat.