Hanson-Milone Safe Boating Act signed into law
On Wednesday, January 8, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the Hanson-Milone Act, a safe boater bill establishing a boater education program. This legislation will mandate that boat operators in the Commonwealth obtain a boater safety certificate. The legislation was first drafted over ten years ago by previous State Rep. Thomas Calter. It was most recently sponsored and championed by Rep. Kathleen LaNatra (Democrat 12th Plymouth) and former State Senator Susan Moran.
“I am so proud to see the Hanson-Milone Act finally become law,” said State Rep. Kathleen LaNatra. “Massachusetts is home to some of the most beautiful waterways in the world. Still, too often, a day of fun on the water ends in tragedy because someone operates a boat without proper safety training; this legislation establishes a straightforward program to ensure anyone operating a boat in the Commonwealth has the necessary safety knowledge to keep themselves and others safe.”
The new law will require all who operate a boat in the Commonwealth first to pass a boater safety test and be issued a boater safety certificate, which must be present on the boat being operated at all times. The legislation provides certain exemptions to the requirements for individuals such as merchant mariners, active members of the Armed Forces who are qualified to operate motorboats, or students of a secondary or maritime school or college who operate motorboats as part of instruction. Individuals who previously possessed a boater safety certificate will not be required to receive another certificate or retake an examination. There are also inclusions for reciprocity for boaters with NASBLA-approved certificates from other states or MA boaters who already have a boater safety certificate.
“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,” said Randall Lyons, executive director of Massachusetts Marine Trades Association. “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. Thank you also to Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, Chairman Aaron Michlewitz and Chairman Michael Rodrigues for their support and final approval of the bill. An element of the new law can be directly related to a recent statistic released by the US Coast Guard, ‘Where instruction was known, 75 percent of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety education.’ As the late great Paul Milone frequently said ‘Safe Boating is no Accident.’”
The bill is named after David Hanson, a young man who tragically lost his life in a boating accident in 2010, and Paul Milone, the late harbormaster from Weymouth who dedicated his life to boat safety and was a major proponent and advocate for this legislation. The Hanson and Milone families have been strong advocates for passing this crucial legislation and were able to participate in the official announcement of the bill passing at an event at the Discover Boating New England Boat Show. Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll presented the signed bill to Lisa Milone, Milon’s widow, and Eric Hanson, Hanson’s brother.
Hanson-Milone Act timeline
- Guidance will be published by the office of law enforcement no later than October 1, 2025
- Anyone born after January 1, 1989, has until April 1, 2026, to obtain their certificate, provided that no operator shall be assessed a penalty until September 1, 2026.
- Anyone born on or before January 1, 1989, must obtain their certificate before April 1, 2028.
*Above right – Eric Hanson, Rep. Bruce Ayers, Rep Joan Meschino, Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, Lisa Milone, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, MMTA Boating Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Jessica Giannino & Chairman James Murphy
Source: https://boatingindustry.com/news/2025/01/14/hanson-milone-safe-boating-act-signed-into-law/
