HB 451 Summary: Commercial Parasailing

• Establishes comprehensive regulation of commercial parasailing in Florida through new section 327.375 (the "Alejandra White Act"), including mandatory insurance requirements of at least $1 million per person, per event.

• Requires vessel operators to obtain a current U.S. Coast Guard license for carrying passengers for hire, maintain an onboard observer at least 18 years old, and ensure all riders wear Coast Guard-approved floatation devices with quick-release support systems.

• Prohibits commercial parasailing operations within 1,800 feet of shore, within 400 feet of anchored vessels or people in water, and within 100 feet of marked Florida Intracoastal Waterway channels; limits to maximum two tethered persons ascending simultaneously.

• Bans parasailing when sustained wind speeds exceed 20 knots, visibility is less than 0.5 miles, or lightning storms exist within 7 miles; prohibits operations between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.

• Mandates safety briefings for all passengers, towline specifications (4,800+ pound tensile strength, maximum 800 feet length), mandatory weather logging by vessel captains, and establishes violations as second-degree misdemeanors.