Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey this week signed into law the Hanson-Milone Act, which requires state boaters to obtain a safety certificate that must be present on the boat being operated at all times.
“The signing of the Hanson-Milone safe boating bill provides a gateway to further education for the recreational boating industry in Massachusetts, leading to lives saved on the waterways for years to come,” Randall Lyons, executive director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, said in a statement. “Thank you to many involved in passing the bill, especially Rep. LaNatra and Christopher Jean, her chief of staff, for their many years of working on this bill.”
The bill is named after David Hanson, a young man who was killed in a boating accident in 2010, and Paul Milone, a late harbormaster from Weymouth, Mass., who dedicated his life to boating safety and was a major proponent and advocate for this legislation.
The new law provides certain exemptions to qualified operators and includes provisions for boaters who already hold safety certificates from other organizations. Guidance for the new law will roll out later this year.
