IL SB2179

Amends the Boat Registration and Safety Act to add new definitions including "boating accident," "consideration," "livery," "passenger," "passenger for hire," and "personal injury" to clarify terminology for regulatory purposes

Updates engine cut-off switch requirements to mandate use on motorboats under 26 feet equipped with such switches by manufacturers when operating on plane or above displacement speed, with exemptions for enclosed cabin helms

Revises navigation traffic rules to clarify that downbound vessels with following current have right-of-way over upbound vessels in narrow channels and must propose manner and place of passage

Changes commercial boat licensing from March 1 renewal dates to January 1 annual renewals, with license fees to be established by administrative rule rather than fixed statutory amounts

Removes outdated statutory references to dates (such as "Beginning on January 1, 2016") and aligns whistle/horn audibility requirements and navigation light intensity standards with federal Coast Guard regulations in 33 CFR