The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Florida Senate Bill 900 tightens boating safety, boating under the influence penalties, and licensing rules
Last action · March 13, 2026: Died in Criminal JusticeSponsor: Ileana Garcia
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What This Bill Proposed
Florida Senate Bill 900 increases penalties for and hit-and-run vessel accidents, establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for BUI manslaughter and fatal BUI hit-and-runs, and requires boaters of all ages to carry boating safety identification by July 2028. The measure also allows lifetime boater safety cardholders to add a symbol to state identification cards and driver licenses starting October 1, 2027.
Imposes stricter criminal penalties, mandatory prison terms, and insurance requirements for individuals convicted of boating offenses while expanding boating education mandates and state identification card options for all Florida boaters.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
boaters
All motor vessel operators face expanded safety education requirements, mandatory identification possession rules, and potential symbol designations on driver licenses.
individuals convicted of boating under the influence
Offenders face mandatory minimum prison sentences, required ignition interlock devices on vehicles and vessels, monthly reporting probation, and mandatory liability insurance.
liveries
Vessel rental businesses are prohibited from knowingly leasing or renting vessels to persons who fail to present required boating safety documentation.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the new boating safety education requirement apply to all operators?
What is the mandatory minimum prison sentence for BUI manslaughter?
What insurance coverage is required for persons convicted of BUI violations?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Check Your Understanding
1.What does the Senate bill require a court to do upon a person's conviction for BUI manslaughter?
2.According to the Filed version of the Boating Safety bill, what insurance obligation is placed on a person convicted of violating subsection (1) and one or more additional criminal violations under the chapter?
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
5 actions- Mar 13, 2026SenateFloorDied in Criminal Justice
- Jan 15, 2026SenateOn Committee agenda-- Criminal Justice, 01/20/26, 3:30 pm, 37 Senate Building --Temporarily Postponed
- Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
- Dec 16, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Criminal Justice; Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Fiscal Policy
- Dec 15, 2025SenateIntroducedFiled
Version history & redline
2 versions on fileOfficial version history is partial: 1 linked text is unavailable or incomplete. Source links remain available below.
The text diff for this stage has not been computed yet.
official version host penalty: 429 Retry-After 300 s
Finance Connection
| Candidate | Donor | Amount | Industry | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $50,000 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Nov 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,730 | AFFILIATED PARTY COMMITTEE | Sep 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,583 | PARTY COMMITTEE | May 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,532 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Apr 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,516 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Jan 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,516 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Dec 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,513 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Mar 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,490 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Mar 2026 |
Show 12 more contributions
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $3,369 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Dec 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC | $2,137 | PARTY COMMITTEE | Oct 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | CYBER CITIZENS FOR JUSTICE INC | $1,000 | ADVOCACY GROUP | Mar 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | CUSCO ENRIQUE | $1,000 | CEO/OLE MEDIA SERVICES | Apr 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | COALITION OF ATTAINABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS PC | $1,000 | POLITICAL COMMITTEE | Dec 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | DADE COUNTY POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION P.A.C. | $1,000 | POLITICAL COMMITTEE | Jan 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | A STRONGER FLORIDA | $1,000 | POLITICAL COMMITTEE | Jan 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | CLOSTER FARMS INC | $1,000 | AGRICULTURE | Mar 2025 |
| Ileana Garcia | FERNANDEZ RUDY | $1,000 | EXEC VP/UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | Mar 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | CHEVRON USA INC | $1,000 | ENERGY CORPORATION | Jan 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | ARMAG III LLC | $1,000 | REAL ESTATE | May 2026 |
| Ileana Garcia | CHAMIZO IVETTE | $1,000 | REAL ESTATE BROKER | Jan 2026 |
Reported financial relationships and timing signals. This does not prove motive or influence. Readers draw their own conclusions.
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Elimination of Birth Date Exemption for Boating Safety ID
The bill phases out the historical exemption allowing boaters born before January 1, 1988, to operate motor vessels without carrying boating safety identification, applying the requirement universally by July 2028.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.flsenate.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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