HB 1173 — CS/HB 1173: Boating-restricted Areas

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 1173 2026 A bill to be entitled An act relating to boating-restricted areas;

revisingauthorizing the authority of municipalities and counties to establishadopt ordinances forto specifiedextend boating-restrictedboating- areas;restricted areas under certain conditions;

removing provisions requiring such ordinances to be reviewed and approved by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission;

9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

SubsectionParagraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 327.46, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

327.46 Boating-restricted areas.— (1) Boating-restricted areas, including, but not limited to, restrictions onof vessel speedspeeds and operation,vessel traffic, may be established ason follows:the waters of this state for any purpose necessary to protect the safety of the public if such restrictions are necessary based on boating accidents, visibility, hazardous currents or water levels, vessel traffic congestion, or other navigational hazards or to protect seagrasses on privately owned submerged lands.

of(c) vesselMunicipalities speeds and vesselcounties traffic, may beadopt establishedhave on the watersauthority of this state for any purpose necessary to protectestablish theby safetyordinance of the publicfollowing ifordinances suchfor restrictions are necessary based on boating accidents, visibility, hazardous currents or water levels, vessel traffic congestion, or other navigationalboating-restricted hazardsareas: or to protect seagrasses on privately owned submerged lands.

Page 1 of 74 CODING:

hb1173-00hb1173-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 1173 2026 (a)1. The commission may establish boating-restricted areas by rule pursuant to chapter 120.

(b)An Municipalitiesordinance regulating vessel speed and countiesoperation maywithin establish300 thefeet followingof boating-restricteda areasconfluence byof ordinance,water including,bodies notwithstandingpresenting thea prohibitionblind incorner, s.up to a distance of 1,000 feet if such extended area is necessary to ensure safe navigation and visibility for approaching vessels.

327.60(2)(c),The withinboundaries theof portionsuch ofareas themust Floridabe Intracoastalclearly Waterwaymarked withinby theiruniform jurisdiction:waterway regulatory markers consistent with commission rules.

1.2.1.

An ordinance establishing an idle speed, no wake boating-restricted area, if the area is:is within 300 feet of a confluence of water bodies presenting a blind corner, a bend in a narrow channel or fairway, or such other area if an intervening obstruction to visibility may obscure other vessels or other users of the waterway.

a.3.2.

Within 500 feet of any boat ramp, hoist, marine railway, or other launching or landing facility available for use by the general boating public on waterways more than 300 feet in width or within 300 feet of any boat ramp, hoist, marine railway, or other launching or landing facility available for use by the general boating public on waterways not exceeding 300 feet in width.

b.

Within 500 feet of fuel pumps or dispensers at any marine fueling facility that sells motor fuel to the general boating public on waterways more than 300 feet in width or within 300 feet of the fuel pumps or dispensers at any licensed terminal facility that sells motor fuel to the general boating public on waterways not exceeding 300 feet in width.

c.

Inside or within 300 feet of any lock structure.

2.

An ordinance establishing a slow speed, minimum wake boating-restricted area if the area is:

Page 2 of 7 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

hb1173-00 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HB 1173 2026 a.

Within 300 feet of any bridge fender system.

b.

Within 300 feet of any bridge span presenting a vertical clearance of less than 25 feet or a horizontal clearance of less than 100 feet.

c.

On a creek, stream, canal, or similar linear waterway if the waterway is less than 75 feet in width from shoreline to shoreline.

d.

On a lake or pond of less than 10 acres in total surface area.

e.

Within the boundaries of a permitted public mooring field and a buffer around the mooring field of up to 100 feet.

f.

Within 500 feet of a sewage pumpout station at any public or private nonresidential marina if the sewage pumpout station is within 100 feet of the marked channel of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway.

3.

An ordinance establishing a vessel-exclusion zone if the area is:

a.

Designated as a public bathing beach or swim area, except that such areas may not be created on waters that include any portion of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway or that are within 100 feet of the marked channel of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway.