Proposed Rules for Watercraft Energy Sources

Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently Died in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

5 actions

Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
Dec 12, 2025House
Now in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
Dec 12, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to State Affairs Committee
Dec 12, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
Nov 25, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If passed, this legislation would grant local municipalities and state agencies the legal authority to prohibit specific boat types—such as electric or gas-powered vessels—on protected lakes, reservoirs, and drainage ponds to prevent water contamination.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Local governments

They gain the legal authority to implement and enforce restrictions on watercraft energy sources on specific local water bodies.

Watercraft owners

They may face new usage prohibitions for their vessels on certain lakes, reservoirs, or ponds depending on their boat's energy source.

What changed

Current stage: Died in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Background

The bill was introduced during the 2026 legislative session but failed to advance out of the Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee. context

Summary

This bill would allow local and state governments to ban certain types of boats on specific bodies of water based on how they are powered. It creates an exception to current state law that generally prevents governments from restricting watercraft based on their .

Why It Matters

If passed, this legislation would grant local municipalities and state agencies the legal authority to prohibit specific boat types—such as electric or gas-powered vessels—on protected lakes, reservoirs, and drainage ponds to prevent water contamination.

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

Can local governments currently ban boats based on their fuel type?

No, current law generally prohibits state agencies, municipalities, and counties from restricting the use or sale of a watercraft based on its .

Which bodies of water would be affected by this change?

The bill specifically targets lakes, reservoirs, drainage ponds, and s where protection from contamination is necessary.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Reversal of Energy Source Freedom

The bill explicitly seeks to create an exception to the 'Watercraft Energy Source Freedom Act', signaling a move toward localized environmental regulation over uniform state-wide access.

Florida Legislature

Connected Entities

organizationState Affairs Committee“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →

organizationNatural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy50
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level