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HB 530

Boats, Boating - As enacted, removes the monitoring requirement for boating safety examinations; replaces statutory fees for boating safety certificates and replacement cards with authorization for TWRA to set such fees. - Amends TCA Title 69, Chapter 9.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Rick Eldridge

Tennessee bill removes boating safety exam monitoring and lets TWRA set certificate fees rather than using fixed statutory amounts.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 214
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Bill Summary · HB 530

Legislative bill overview

HB 530 removes the requirement for ongoing monitoring of boating safety examinations in Tennessee and eliminates fixed statutory fees for boating safety certificates and replacement cards. Instead, it grants the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) authority to set these fees independently.

Why is this important

This change affects anyone obtaining boating safety certifications in Tennessee by shifting fee-setting from the legislature to an administrative agency, potentially allowing for more flexible pricing adjustments without legislative action. It also streamlines the examination process by removing a monitoring requirement, which could reduce administrative burden or oversight depending on what that monitoring entailed.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee flexibility concerns: Removing statutory fee caps gives TWRA unchecked authority to increase certificate costs, which could burden recreational boaters or create equity issues if fees rise significantly
  • Reduced legislative oversight: Transferring fee-setting from legislature to agency removes direct democratic input on costs, making changes less transparent to the public
  • Examination quality assurance: Removing monitoring requirements could potentially weaken quality control over boating safety testing, though this depends on the original monitoring's actual effectiveness

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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