HB 1349-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

     Finds that there is an increasing number of derelict vessels that have been abandoned in the waters along the shorelines of the state.  These vessels pose hazards to navigation and threaten the environment with the potential release of hazardous materials.  There is no current federal program that comprehensively addresses this problem, and the legislature recognizes that the state must assist in providing a solution to this increasing hazard.

     Declares that, for purposes of this act, "abandoned or derelict vessels" means vessels that have little or no value and either have no identified owner or have an identified owner lacking financial resources to clean up and dispose of the vessel.