Relating to regulation of watercraft and equipment on public lakes by common interest communities and certain nonprofit corporations, and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to the regulation of watercraft and equipment on public lakes. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the bill allows a common interest community with 1,000 units or more that is adjacent to or abutting a public lake to establish policies for the common interest community’s owners, and the owners’ guests, regarding the operation of watercraft, including but not limited to equipment specifications, upon the public lake. The bill allows the common interest community to utilize private buoys and other safety-related installations to communicate the relevant policies until the natural resource commission adopts rules regulating buoys and other safety-related installations for the public lake that is adjacent to or abuts the common interest community. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the bill provides that an association may establish policies for the association’s members, and the members’ guests, regarding the operation of watercraft, including but not limited to equipment specifications, upon the public lake. The bill also allows an association to utilize private buoys and other safety-related installations to communicate the relevant policies until the natural resource commission adopts rules regulating buoys and other safety-related installations for the public lake that is adjacent to or abuts the association. The bill defines “association” as a nonprofit corporation incorporated under Code chapter 504, named as an association, and that manages a community with 1,000 units or more that is located on a subdivision that is adjacent to or abuts a public lake. The bill also defines “public lake” to mean any lake located within the boundaries of this state that is a navigable body of water and that is lawfully accessible by the general public. The terms “common interest community”, “member”, “rule”, “bylaws”, “rules and regulations”, “unit”, and “unit owner” are also defined in the bill.