What in the world is wrong with a "homeless" person living on a boat jay? Seems to me they have a home and it is on the boat...

Don't bring the sewage issue up. there are many cheap ways to solve that among which are composting toilets...but those aren't expensive and don't require the aproval of tyrants to the united states consitution!

In regard to "Fletcher's" comment .....calling people idiots really makes you look like one.  The moderators should remove it and ban you. A) if the governor signed it ? It has passed....it's a law B) not everyone on a boat is fishing .....cruising on a boat is not a "highly regulated" activity C) sailors get tired of getting their annual USCG safety sticker to keep the overzealous LEO's away and still being harassed. D) if they worried more about the homeless living on boats and derelict boats it would be far more useful than "safety inspections"

Probable cause? Lol! They can make anything to be probable cause, they've been doing this already! Sorry but those Leo's are laughing!!! They know they can say or find anything to make it a probable cause material!!!!

lol wow.!!! i have been stoped mostly when i have my daughter and her friends on the boat, now i have to admit they are attractive young ladys, however the last time i was stopped at the dock and checked for coast guard equip, which we passed, went 50 yrds and stopped by local water patrol, (We have a brand new coastguard sticker) and checked out good.! Told me the girls couldn`t have their feet over the gunnel, they didn`t. then went 300 yards and was stopped again by the game commission.! wow, we checked out good, (so did the young ladys, all of college age.!) lol then we went fishing .!!!! wow what a day.! I haven seen that much attention since my son was killed. redundency! or male machoisum, lol im guilty of both, we caught fish and had a great day.!!! never checked again, it was already on the scanner.

Seems the fascists are out in force! A law protecting the rights of citizens by keeping the government at bay is wrong? Seems your power has corrupted your sense of right and wrong. Liberty is always more desirable than security. It's isn't the governments duty or responsibility to keep people "safe", only to ensure the means for them to keep themselves safe. But only if they choose to. Of course, many will assume this means police are unnecessary. Not true. Just in a more limited capacity than they are currently employed.

Sorry to tell all of the people complaining that no matter if this bill passed or not you can be and WILL BE still boarded by Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and any other Federal agencies since this doesn't apply to Federal LEOs. Oh by the way don't try to use the "state waters" defense since nearly all of FL'S harbors and waterways have ready access to the sea which makes it Customs Waters, yes even Lake Okeechobee. Oh also Coast Guard and Customs like to tag along on local LEO boats so if they are onboard the requirement of probable cause is out the window. Have fun out there.

I once spent a weekend on the St. John's River. Saturday morning as I launched I had the FEC pull up and do a safety inspection. I asked the officer for a safety sticker and I placed it on my boat below the Fl numbers. During the day Saturday I was stopped by the FWC 4 more times for safety inspections. Each time I asked for a sticker and placed it on my boat next to the last. That Sunday I was stopped 4 more times. I kid you not, I had 9 stickers on my boat when I pulled her out of the water at 4pm that Sunday.

Well, now a law to stop Catamarans. So much for the flying Hobie sailors! There is no such thing as freedom in a totalitarian police state!

If dangling your feet over the rail is probable cause, then all sailing vessels that are racing are in violation for having crew that are used as movable ballast ( rail meat). So now we have the complete erosion of any expectation of privacy, is that what you want? One size does not fit all. Before you decide to unleash a loss of privacy, here is a concept think beyond one incident. Look at the whole picture!! I have faith in us and I know we can.

My wife and I travel and live on our boat , we get pulled over all the the by fish and wildlife , coast guard , marine patrol, and local sheriffs patrols .We have a 54' trawler that I operate alone many situations occur while entering an inlet ,I have no thrusters , with the tide and wind and dredgers ,sand bars,other boats, finding a place to anchor, then a gun hoe cocky officer jumps on you boat . I have served my country ,Worked my whole life paid my taxes and have done the right thing all along. We live on our boat full time and are just trying to live out the remaining years without harassment .

As a lifelong boater I support this Bill. On too many occasions I have been pulled over and boarded for no reason whatsoever. On numerous occasions I have actually challenged an officer as to the basis for his actions and have been told the reason was because he can.

Rep Workman got his panties in a wad after he was pulled over and given a lecture by the FWC for letting his kids sit on the bow of his boat with their legs hanging over the side. Claimed he was being harassed, again! He's gotten a lot of bad publicity here in Florida over the incident, even though his proposal has some merit for those who don't let their kids bow-ride and simply get stopped frequently for "safety inspections."

How can we help support Rep Workman's bill in an effort to actually get it passed?

Strongly support this change. I live on my boat. We eat here and we sleep here and yes, we even have an "expectation of privacy" here. If a law enforcement officer wants to enter my dirt home, he needs a warrant issued by a judge in a court of competent jurisdiction. This bill doesn't even go that far, but it would eliminate some of the really nasty incidents that happen each year just because some over-zealous 22 y/o deputy sheriff with a gun and a blue light wants to do a potti inspection, but has no probable cause. I know this would make life just slightly more complicated for the local LEO. Honoring our constitution does that. Betsy, as Janice mentioned, kids dangling their feet over the bow constitutes probable cause. Anyone with a NASBLA-compliant Florida Boating Safety Card knows that!

Absolutely and good call Representative Workman. As for Betsy's comment, yes, hanging your feet over the gunnels is Probable Cause and would warrant a stop. However cruising along at a safe speed would not merit any stop nor inspection. I like the proposal and hope it passes. And yes, I'm "one of those" that does follow the rules. Routine inspections feel like an invasion of privacy. Thank you Representative for not just realizing a problem exists but also for proposing a solution. Good call. I hope it passes.

Sorry, Rep. Workman, but letting your children hang their legs over the side, no matter what your speed, is dangerous and warrants a warning at the very least. As a life long boater, I cringe when I see such reckless behavior.

Wow - what a novel idea. Apply the US Constitution to boaters too. Hope it passes.