Personal Watercraft Responsible Use Act of 2001

H.R. 702, the Personal Watercraft Responsible Use Act of 2001, proposes new federal standards to regulate the operation of personal watercraft (such as Jet Skis) in coastal areas. The bill would require coastal states to implement "no-wake speed" zones in sensitive areas or risk losing up to ten percent of their federal coastal management grants.

For citizens, this legislation would mean stricter enforcement of speed limits near shorelines and the potential for new restricted zones designed to protect the environment and reduce conflicts between personal watercraft and other boaters or swimmers. Additionally, the bill would provide federal grants to states that adopt these safety standards and create task forces to help manage shared use of public waterways.