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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Natural | ||||||
| 3 | Resources 2012 Recreational Boating Report, there were 101 | ||||||
| 4 | United States Coast Guard (USCG) reportable watercraft | ||||||
| 5 | accidents during federal fiscal year 2012 in Illinois, | ||||||
| 6 | resulting in 69 injuries and 19 fatalities; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, In federal fiscal year 2012, Conservation Police | ||||||
| 8 | Officers inspected 20,015 vessels, and provided assistance to a | ||||||
| 9 | combination of 2,231 persons and vessels; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Boating accident reports indicate the majority of | ||||||
| 11 | accidents occur between June and July, on Saturday or Sunday, | ||||||
| 12 | between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.; conditions are usually clear with | ||||||
| 13 | good visibility, light winds, and calm water; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Most accidents involve operators between the ages | ||||||
| 15 | of 20 and 40 with over 100 hours of boating experience but have | ||||||
| 16 | little or no classroom boating safety instruction; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, In the majority of the 19 fatal accidents in | ||||||
| 18 | federal fiscal year 2012, the operators had no formal boat | ||||||
| 19 | safety education; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Ten of the 19 fatalities involved drug or alcohol | ||||||
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| 1 | impairment; with the leading type of fatal accidents involving | ||||||
| 2 | falls overboard; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Current Illinois law provides that persons at | ||||||
| 4 | least 12 years of age but less than 18 years of age may only | ||||||
| 5 | operate a motorboat if they have in their possession a valid | ||||||
| 6 | Boating Education Certificate of Competency issued by the | ||||||
| 7 | Illinois Department of Natural Resources Safety Education | ||||||
| 8 | Division or they are accompanied on the motorboat and under | ||||||
| 9 | direct control of a parent or guardian, or a person at least 18 | ||||||
| 10 | years of age designated by a parent or guardian; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, There is no requirement in Illinois for anyone | ||||||
| 12 | over the age of 18 to complete a Boating Education Course | ||||||
| 13 | before operating a motorboat; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Boat Registration and Safety Act | ||||||
| 15 | states that the Department of Natural Resources may cooperate | ||||||
| 16 | with schools, private clubs, and other organizations in | ||||||
| 17 | offering boating safety courses throughout the State of | ||||||
| 18 | Illinois; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Natural Resources | ||||||
| 20 | should increase efforts to have more boaters voluntarily | ||||||
| 21 | participate in boating safety courses; therefore, be it
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| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 2 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 3 | we urge the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to work | ||||||
| 4 | with boat rental businesses, boating clubs, and other | ||||||
| 5 | organizations to encourage Illinois boaters to participate in | ||||||
| 6 | boating safety courses; and be it further
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| 7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 8 | delivered to the Director of Natural Resources, for the | ||||||
| 9 | Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
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