Boats, Boating - As introduced, requires a person to purchase a permit in order to operate a vessel on the intrastate waters of this state that is exempt from being numbered for identification in this state due only to the vessel having a valid number awarded to it pursuant to a federally approved numbering system of another state. - Amends TCA Title 69, Chapter 9.

SB 759 requires anyone operating a vessel exempt from Tennessee's numbering system (because it displays a valid number from another state's federally approved system) to purchase an annual $72 permit for use on Tennessee's intrastate waters. The permit must be obtained before operating such a vessel, and all revenue from the fee will fund the state's boating safety programs through the boating safety fund. This applies to all exempt vessels operating on Tennessee's lakes, rivers, and other intrastate waterways. The bill is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.