What happened:
Operating a watercraft (boat) while intoxicated with a child passenger who is younger than 15 years of will be a state jail felony starting Sept. 1.
The bill's primary author is Texas State Rep. Reggie Smith, R-Van Alstyne. He filed the bill on Jan 3. 2023.
Joint authors include:
State Rep. William Metcalf, R-Conroe.
State Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield
State Rep. Candy Noble, R-Murphy
State Rep. Janie Lopez, R-San Benito
Why it matters:
The law regarding boating while intoxicated, (BWI), has transformed significantly from a misdemeanor to a felony.
