Tampa, Fla. (WFLA) – Nearly 100 new Florida laws are in effect on July 1st. One of the laws is that make many sailors happy. It limits the ability of an FWC to stop and search for ships.
Boats are big in Florida, and boat owners and drivers now have different experiences on the water.
Trump, Florida officials attend the opening of “Crocodile Alcatraz.”
July 4th is just a few days, with many Floridians and tourists heading out on the water.
Under the Boater Freedom Act, sailors provide more protection and law enforcement will not be able to pull the boat without the cause or suspected violation.
Prior to this law, officers were permitted to conduct inspections, such as personal property searches. Gov. Ron DeSantis said it can lead to actions that go beyond safety compliance from law enforcement.
Now there’s a reason law enforcement is attracting sailors.
“If there is a basis for intervention, it may be one thing and there may be a possible cause for doubting something, and that may work.
The governor said he hopes the law eases tensions between law enforcement and sailors.
He said in 2023 that the state had over 300,000 boat registrations and that the law hopes to ensure that Florida is the boat capital.
The law also prevents local governments from banning the use or sale of gas-powered boats.
