Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to stop the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission from making "intrusive" checks on boaters. | WFSU
Published on May 2, 2025 at 2:11 pm
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A proposal that would block law enforcement officers from using boat safety inspections as a pretense for onboard checks is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has advocated for the plan.
The Senate on Thursday voted 35-2 to approve the measure (SB 1388), which would prohibit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers from performing a vessel stop or board a vessel to conduct only a safety or marine sanitation equipment inspection.
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Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, and Jason Pizzo, a Sunny Isles Beach senator with no party affiliation, voted against the measure.
The House on Wednesday passed the measure in a 104-7 vote. Rep. Angela Nixon was the only representative from Northeast Florida to vote no.
Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican who sponsored the bill, said during debate Thursday that the measure “ensures Floridians are not unfairly stopped or boarded on the water without probable cause.”
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The bill would not prevent officers from stopping vessels if they have probable cause that a boating violation has occurred.
DeSantis has argued that officers could better allocate time and resources if they didn’t conduct unwarranted vessel inspections without probable cause.
