Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 42 By: Gollihare
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Oklahoma Boating Safety
7 Regulation Act; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Sections 4201
8 and 4212, which relate to definitions and operation
8 of towing vessel; defining certain term; requiring
9 certain flag under certain circumstance; updating
9 statutory language; and providing an effective date.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 4201, is
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14 amended to read as follows:
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15 Section 4201. In addition to the terms defined by the Oklahoma
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16 Vessel and Motor Registration Act, for the purposes of the Oklahoma
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17 Boating Safety Regulation Act:
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18 1. "Buoy" means an anchored marker for marking a position on
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19 the water, or a hazard, shoal or mooring, or any other prohibitive
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20 activity area;
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21 2. "Capacity plate" means a sign posted in view of the
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22 operator's station on a vessel which designates the maximum weight
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23 capacity and horsepower restrictions of a vessel for safe operation;
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1 3. "Diver's flag" means a red flag not less than twenty (20)
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2 inches by twenty-four (24) inches with a four-inch white stripe
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3 running from one upper corner to a diagonal lower corner, and such
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4 flag is used to indicate a submerged diver;
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5 4. "Emergency vessel" means any law enforcement vessel which is
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6 legally authorized to operate in the emergency mode;
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7 5. "Law enforcement vessel" means any vessel legally authorized
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8 to operate under the color of law;
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9 6. "Lienholder" means a person holding a security interest in a
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10 vessel, as shown on the vessel title;
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11 7. "Manipulate" means to guide, steer or otherwise control;
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12 8. "Marine sewage" means any substance, treated or untreated,
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13 that contains any of the waste products of humans or animals or
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14 foodstuffs;
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15 9. "Marine toilet" means any latrine, head, lavatory or toilet
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16 intended to receive marine sewage and which is located on or in any
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17 vessel;
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18 10. "Operator" means the person who operates, has actual
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19 physical control, or has charge of the navigation or use of a
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20 vessel;
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21 11. "Parasail" means any device which, when airborne, is used
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22 or capable of being used for lifting or suspending a person who is
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23 being or will be towed by a vessel;
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1 12. "Passenger" means any person riding in or upon any vessel
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2 or being towed for recreation on water skis, an inner tube,
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3 kneeboard, parasail or any similar device;
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4 13. "Personal flotation device" means only a United States
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5 Coast Guard approved flotation device;
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6 14. "Personal watercraft" means a vessel which uses an inboard
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7 motor powering a water jet pump as its primary source of motive
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8 power and which is designed to be operated by a person sitting,
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9 standing or kneeling on the vessel, rather than the conventional
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10 manner of sitting or standing inside the vessel, or a vessel which
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11 is similar in appearance and operation to a personal watercraft but
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12 which is powered by an outboard or propeller driven motor, or a
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13 vessel less than sixteen (16) feet in length which travels across
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14 the water above or on a cushion of air provided by engines,
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15 propellers or other means of propulsion;
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16 15. "Sanctioned event" means any organized event on the waters
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17 of this state, including but not limited to regattas, motorboat or
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18 other boat races, marine parades, tournaments and exhibitions, which
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19 is approved and permitted by an authorizing agency;
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20 16. "Under way" means the movement of a vessel whether by
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21 mechanical or nonmechanical means which is other than incidental to
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22 the force of wind, waves or current; and
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23 17. "Wake" means the track of waves left by a vessel or other
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24 object moving through the water, and such waves are greater than the
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1 natural waves in the immediate area of the vessel, or are cresting
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2 and showing white water, or may cause injury or damage to any person
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3 or property; and
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4 18. "Wide-angle convex rearview mirror" means a mirror, no less
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5 than four (4) inches in size from bottom to top and across from side
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6 to side, mounted firmly to the vessel to give the operator a full
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7 and complete view beyond the rear of the vessel at all times.
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8 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 4212, is
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9 amended to read as follows:
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10 Section 4212. A. 1. No person shall operate or give
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11 permission to operate a vessel on any waters of this state for
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12 towing a person or persons using parasails or on water skis, a
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13 surfboard, or similar device unless there is in such vessel:
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14 a. a person who is at least eight (8) years old, and who,
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15 in addition to the operator, is in a position to
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16 observe the progress of the person or persons being
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17 towed,
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18 b. if the vessel is not a personal watercraft, an
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19 efficient wide angle wide-angle convex rear view
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20 rearview mirror installed on such vessel in such
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21 manner as to permit the person operating said such
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22 vessel to face the direction of travel and be in a
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23 position to observe the progress of the person or
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24 persons being towed, or
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1 c. if the vessel is a personal watercraft, two efficient
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2 wide angle wide-angle convex rear view rearview
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3 mirrors installed on such vessel in such manner as to
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4 permit the person operating such watercraft to face
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5 the direction of travel and be in a position to
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6 observe the progress of the person or person persons
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7 being towed.
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8 2. Water skiing shall be allowed with any watercraft which is
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9 designed to accommodate two or more persons.
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10 B. No person shall operate or give permission to operate a
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11 vessel on any waters of this state for towing a person or persons
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12 using parasails or on water skis, a surfboard, a sailboard, or
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13 similar device nor shall any person engage in parasailing, water
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14 skiing, surfboarding, sailboarding, or similar activity at any time
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15 between the hours from sunset to sunrise or at such time visibility
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16 due to other existing conditions is obscured so as to endanger life
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17 or property.
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18 C. The provisions of subsections A and B of this section do not
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19 apply to a performer engaged in a professional exhibition or a
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20 person or persons engaged in an activity authorized under Section
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21 4205 of this title.
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22 D. No person shall operate or give permission to operate or
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23 manipulate any vessel, tow rope, or other device by which the
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24 direction or location of parasails, water skis, a surfboard, or
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1 similar device may be affected or controlled in such a way as to
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2 cause the parasails, water skis, surfboard, or similar device, or
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3 any person thereon to collide with or strike against any object or
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4 person.
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5 E. 1. No person shall operate or give permission to operate a
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6 personal watercraft or similar device capable of being remote
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7 controlled by the skier unless such device is factory equipped with
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8 an engine kill switch capable of shutting off the engine in the
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9 event the skier becomes detached from the personal watercraft
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10 device. A person operating a personal watercraft equipped by the
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11 manufacturer with a lanyard type engine cutoff switch shall attach
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12 such lanyard to his or her person, clothing, or personal flotation
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13 device as appropriate for the specific vessel.
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14 2. No person shall operate a personal watercraft at any time
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15 between the hours from sunset to sunrise unless equipped with
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16 prescribed lights.
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17 F. 1. Whenever any person leaves the confines of any vessel,
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18 other than a personal watercraft, and enters the waters in this
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19 state between the hours from sunrise to sunset, the operator of the
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20 vessel shall clearly display a red or orange flag on the vessel that
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21 measures not less than twelve (12) inches by twelve (12) inches and
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22 is visible for three hundred sixty degrees (360�) around the
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23 horizon. The flag shall not be displayed when the watercraft is
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24 engaged in towing any person but shall be displayed when such person
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1 has ceased being towed and has reentered the water. The provisions
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2 of this subsection shall not apply to a watercraft that is moored or
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3 anchored.
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4 2. No operator shall knowingly operate any vessel in excess of
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5 a slow or no-wake speed within fifty (50) yards of a vessel
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6 displaying a flag as required by this subsection.
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7 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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9 60-1-203 CN 12/18/2024 10:04:49 AM
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Req. No. 203 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.