STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8626
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MIKULIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the navigation law, in relation to requiring pontoon
boat rental businesses to equip all pontoon boats available for rent
with a safety ladder
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The navigation law is amended by adding a new section 44-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 44-a. Safety ladders equipped on pontoon boat rentals. 1. For the
4 purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
5 meanings:
6 (a) "Pontoon boat" means a boat:
7 (i) floated by two bullet shaped pontoons;
8 (ii) containing no inboard motors; and
9 (iii) not exceeding twenty-four feet in length, as measured from end
10 to end on the pontoon.
11 (b) "Pontoon boat rental business" means a business that offers
12 pontoon boats for rent to the general public, but shall not include an
13 individual who allows another individual to use their boat for personal
14 relationships and without compensation.
15 (c) "Safety ladder" means any ladder that is not in the form of ropes,
16 that is affixed to a pontoon boat and which is designed and manufactured
17 in accordance with the standards and guidelines established by the
18 department of parks, recreation and historic preservation.
19 2. No person, corporation, partnership, or limited liability company
20 which is the owner of a pontoon boat rental boat business shall knowing-
21 ly rent or make available for rent a pontoon boat that is not equipped
22 with a safety ladder.
23 3. Failure to properly equip a pontoon boat with a safety ladder prior
24 to the rental of such boat shall result in a warning for a first noted
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11776-01-5
A. 8626 2
1 violation, while each subsequent violation of this section shall result
2 in a fine of five hundred dollars per violation.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
4 law. Effective immediately, the department of parks, recreation and
5 historic preservation is authorized to promulgate, amend and/or repeal
6 any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on
7 or before such effective date.
