AN ACT to require Persons towed behind a vessel on Lake Norman to wear a personal flotation device and to limit hours of towed activity on Lake Norman to the period between sunrise and sunset.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 75A‑13 reads as rewritten:

§ 75A‑13.  Water skis, surfboards, etc.

(a)        No person shall operate a vessel on any water of this State for towing a person or persons on water skis, a surfboard, or similar device unless at least one the persons being towed wear a personal flotation device and either of the following conditions is met:

(1)        There is in the vessel a person, in addition to the operator, in a position to observe the progress of the person or persons being towed.

(2)        The persons being towed wear a personal flotation device.

(3)        The vessel is equipped with a rear view mirror.mirror capable of showing a wide area behind the towing watercraft.

(b)        No person shall operate a vessel on any water of this State towing a person or persons on water skis, a surfboard, or similar device, nor shall any person engage in water skiing, surfboarding, or similar activity at any time between the hours from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.

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SECTION 2.  This act is enforceable under G.S. 75A‑17 as if it were a provision of Chapter 75A of the General Statutes.

SECTION 3.  Violation of this act is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

SECTION 4.  This act applies only to the waters of Lake Norman in Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg Counties.

SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2021, and applies to offenses occurring on or after that date.