Boats, Boating - As enacted, creates the Class C misdemeanor offense of mooring a recreational vessel for more than 14 consecutive days at any one place along the water's edge of a reservoir or at any place within one mi, the official text

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                             PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 696

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1725

                                                 By Hatcher, Bailey, Bowling

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 1786

                          By Littleton, Moon, Alexander, Vital, Russell, Crawford, Wright

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, relative to the moorage of
          vessels.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, Part 2, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:

                    (a) The operator of a recreational vessel shall not:

                              (1) Moor the vessel for more than fourteen (14) consecutive days at any one
                    (1) place along the water's edge of a reservoir or at any place within one (1) mile
                    thereof;

                              (2) Establish temporary moorage within the limits of primary or secondary
                    navigation channels of the Tennessee River system; or

                              (3) Place the mooring lines of the vessel in such a way as to block or hinder
                    boating access to any part of a reservoir.

                    (b) A violation of subdivision (a)(1 ), (a)(2), or (a)(3) is a Class C misdemeanor.

                    (c) It is not a violation of subdivision (a)(1) if the recreational vessel has been issued a
          permit for permanent or extended mooring pursuant to federal law, or if the vessel is
          temporarily or permanently secured at a marina slip, dock, or other recreational docking
          facility.

                    (d) As used in this section:

                              (1) "Moor" means the act of making fast or securing a recreational vessel with
                    lines or anchors;

                              (2) "Recreational vessel" means a vessel manufactured or used primarily for
                    noncommercial use or leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter's
                    noncommercial use;

                              (3) "Reservoir" means a basin that contains or will contain the water
                    impounded by a dam and that is under the management and control of a federal
                    agency; and

                              (4) "Tennessee River system" means any part of the Tennessee River or any
                    of the Tennessee River's tributaries that are under the management and control of a
                    federal agency.

          SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 1725

PASSED:  March 30, 2026

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                         \                        RANDY I\~

                                     SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

                         CAMERO~TON,SPEAKER

                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APPROVED this l'=J.fl day of Apr.~,               2026

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                              BILL LEE, GOVERNOR