Boerner Horvath's Bill to Enhance Boat Safety Passes Key Committee
SACRAMENTO — Today, AB 335, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s bill to keep boat owners and renters safe by providing boat manufacturers the option to contact buyers if they need to do a recall, passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on a unanimous bipartisan 11-0 vote.
In 2018, the landmark California Consumer Privacy Act passed, allowing consumers greater ability to protect their personal contact information from being shared. Certain exceptions allowed under later legislation gave car dealers the ability to share that information so consumers could receive important safety recall and warranty information for their vehicles. AB 335 simply extends that same exception to watercraft dealers so people get the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe while on the water.
“California is and should remain a national leader when it comes to empowering people to take charge of their personal data, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t important exceptions,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “Just like car dealers, watercraft dealers want to ensure owners get timely recall and safety information without running afoul of privacy protections. This bill will enable sellers to contact consumers and will keeps folks out of harm’s way while they’re enjoying our oceans, lakes, and waterways.”