SF2767

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to improve safety for children on watercraft by requiring life jackets worn by children under ten years of age to have reflective material for enhanced visibility.

Main Provisions

• Life Jacket Requirements: Beginning January 1, 2027, any personal flotation device (PFD) for children under ten on a watercraft must have reflective material.
• Reflective Material Specification: The life jacket must include at least 31 square inches of retroreflective material on both the front and back. If the life jacket is reversible, each side must also have 31 square inches of reflective material. The material should be evenly distributed between the upper quadrants, close to the shoulders.
• Implementation Timeline:
  • The reflective requirement takes effect in 2027.
  • Initial violations of these new requirements until May 1, 2028, will not incur penalties but will receive a safety warning instead.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Mandatory Reflective Material: This marks a new requirement for life jackets under the existing law, which already mandates children under ten to wear a PFD on underway watercraft.
• Enforcement Adjustments: The transition period provides a grace period for compliance where penalties are not issued initially, just warnings.

Relevant Terms

reflective material, personal flotation device (PFD), life jacket, watercraft, child safety, retroreflective material, visibility, safety regulations.