House to review Navigation and Water Safety Law for update

Rep. Elinette González Aguayo

By THE STAR STAFF

At-large Rep. José Aponte Hernández, along with Rep. Elinette González Aguayo, who chairs the Natural Resources Committee in the lower chamber of the Puerto Rico Legislature, announced on Wednesday the start of an evaluation to update Law 430-2000, better known as the Navigation and Water Safety Law of Puerto Rico.

“This week, the secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources [DNER], Engineer Waldemar Quiles, expressed the need to modernize the parameters of the law that regulates navigation in Puerto Rico,” Aponte said in a written statement. “Law 430-2000 was signed 26 years ago, more than a quarter of a century ago, and although several amendments have been made, a detailed review is still needed. Much has happened since then. It is time to adapt this law to the reality of our island. We are going to begin a study of the Navigation Law to adapt it to the current reality.”

The evaluation will include the use of boats in nature reserves and giving more powers to the DNER Rangers Corps, as well as guidance programs, signage and installation of marine buoys demarcating areas for the use of boaters, among others.

“The House Natural Resources Committee is committed to the safety of water activities in Puerto Rico, including boating,” González, who represents District 11 (Dorado, Vega Alta and Vega Baja). “According to the Neptuno vessel registration system, there are approximately 34,000 boats, sailboats, and/or personal watercraft on the island. However, DNER officials believe the actual number exceeds 96,000. With the advent of technology, we can implement, among other initiatives, smart electronic tags that will allow the Department to identify these vessels using unmanned aerial vehicles, among other platforms. This is something we will incorporate into the new law that we will be working on with Representative Aponte.”

The most recent amendment to the Navigation and Water Safety Law was Law 40-2026, which amended sections 9 and 10 of Article 7 to establish that persons aged 18 to 20 years of age may not operate a vessel or navigation vehicle when the blood alcohol content is 0.02%.