Ch. 826                            MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                                  1697

WOULD HAVE ACTED UNDER THE SAME OR SIMILAR
CIRCUMSTANCES.

[(b)] (C) Whenever an accident involves any vessel subject to this article and results
in the death, disappearance, or injury of any person, or in property damage in excess
of one hundred dollars ( $100.00), the operator or operators thereof shall file, with the
Department of [Tidewater Fisheries] NATURAL RESOURCES, a full description
of the accident, including such information as that Department may by regulation
require, within the times required in subsection [(d)] (E) of this section.

[(c)] (D) Whenever any vessel numbered in the State is involved in an accident upon
waters other than the waters of this State, and the accident results in the death,
disappearance or injury of any person, or in property damage exceeding one hundred
dollars ( $100.00) the operator shall, within 30 days thereof, file a complete report
with the Department of [Tidewater Fisheries] NATURAL RESOURCES including
such information as that Department may, by regulation require. Nothing herein shall
be construed to exempt or excuse any operator from the requirements of any laws or
regulations of any other state or nation having jurisdiction over the waters in which
the accident occurs. Furthermore, no accident-reporting requirements in the law or
regulations of any other state or nation shall exonerate or excuse any failure of the
operator of a vessel numbered in this State to report the accident in Maryland as
prescribed.

[(d)] (E) All boating accidents within the meaning of this article which occur on the
waters of Maryland shall be reported within forty-eight (48) hours of the happening
thereof, if said accident has caused the death or the disappearance of any person; all
other reportable boating accidents that may result in personal injury or property
damage shall be reported within five (5) days.

[(e)] (F) The report of a boating accident herein required to be made shall not,
during any judicial proceeding, be referred to in any way; it shall not be subject to
subpoena nor admissible as evidence in any proceeding, Subject to these restrictions,
information contained in a boating accident report and any statistical information
based thereon will be made available upon request for official purposes to the United
States Coast Guard and any federal agency successor thereto.

[[12F.

(a) All funds received into the Waterways Improvement Fund created by Section
4E of this article shall be used, with the exception of the sum specified under Section
[2G] 12H(B) herein for boating safety and education, solely for the following
projects [.]:

[(b) Marking of Channels and harbors not within the scope of operations of the
United States Coast Guard.]

[(c)] (1) Clearing of debris, aquatic vegetation and obstructions from navigable
waters of the State.

[(d)] (2) Dredging of channels and harbors AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STRUCTURES SUCH AS BREAKWATERS TO PROTECT CHANNELS
AND HARBORS [not within the scope of operations of the United States Army
Corps of Engineers].

[(e)] (3) Construction of marine facilities beneficial to the boating public.]]

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 5(a) of
Article 14B of this Act shall take effect January 1, 1974.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That subject to the
provisions of Section 2 herein, this Act shall take effect July 1, 1973.