Gonzalez Pushes Bill to Improve Boating Safety

Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez Advances AB 2055 to Improve Boating Safety Across California

SACRAMENTO — AB 2055, legislation to modernize California’s boating laws, strengthen public safety, and better align state law with federal standards and existing vehicle codes, is advancing, Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez announced.

The measure passed off the Assembly Floor with bipartisan support and will now move to the California State Senate for consideration.

AB 2055 makes several important updates to California boating law by improving enforcement authority following boating accidents, expanding ski flag requirements to better protect swimmers and individuals in the water, aligning California’s definition of “for-hire” vessels with federal U.S. Coast Guard standards, and improving law enforcement access to vessel registration information during investigations and emergency response situations.

“Millions of Californians enjoy our lakes, rivers, and waterways every year, and our laws should reflect today’s public safety needs,” said Assemblyman Gonzalez. “This is a commonsense bill that gives law enforcement better tools to respond to emergencies, improves accountability on the water, and helps protect families enjoying California’s waterways.”

The legislation also aligns boating-under-the-influence enforcement with existing DUI laws by limiting pretrial diversion in serious cases involving impaired boating offenses.

The measure is sponsored by the California State Sheriffs’ Association, which highlights the bill’s importance in improving officer response capabilities and enhancing public safety protections statewide.

Gonzalez represents Imperial County and portions of Riverside and San Bernardino County in the California Legislature. District 36 includes Anza, Blythe, Brawley, Calexico, Coachella, El Centro, Hemet, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Salton City, Thermal, Westmorland, Winchester, and Winterhaven.