Boating should be a source of joy, not loss. Through legislation, advocacy, and community leadership, the Lucy Fernandez Foundation is working to change the culture of recreational boating and save lives. From the passage of Lucy’s Law to leading the Mayor’s Miami-Dade County Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force, we are committed to creating safer waterways and a culture of care through accountability, education, and prevention.
Florida’s waterways are more crowded and more complex than ever before. Faster, more powerful boats, heavier traffic, and constant distractions have transformed recreational boating into an environment that looks very different from the one lawmakers envisioned more than three decades ago. Yet for years, boating laws failed to keep pace with these realities, leaving dangerous gaps in education, accountability, and enforcement.
As boating activity continues to rise, so do preventable accidents, injuries, and fatalities. Too often, tragedy is the result of inexperience, speed, alcohol, and a lack of education.
Behind every statistic is a family forever changed.
We believe safety must be the standard, not the exception. Education must be the norm, not a choice. And accountability must be shared by every person who takes the helm. Aligning boating laws with the same expectations we demand on our roads is essential to protecting lives on the water. .
Florida leads the nation in registered vessels—and in reportable boating accidents and fatalities. As waterways grow more crowded and complex, the need for modern, enforceable safety standards has never been greater. Lucy’s Law represents a major step forward in boating safety legislation, strengthening accountability and education while aligning reckless boating with more serious consequences. Passed unanimously by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, the bill reflects a shared commitment to protecting families and preventing future tragedy.
Lucy’s Law:
• Strengthens penalties for reckless boating
• Aligns serious boating offenses with harsher criminal consequences
• Expands boater education requirements
• Increases accountability on Florida’s waterways
Lucy’s Law proves that change is possible. But it is only the beginning.
The Lucy Fernandez Foundation proudly spearheads Mayor Levine-Cava’s Miami-Dade County Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force, bringing together community leaders, law enforcement, marine industry professionals, educators, and safety advocates.
The Task Force exists to:
• Identify gaps in boater education
• Strengthen enforcement strategies
• Improve public awareness
• Develop real, actionable solutions
• Protect Biscayne Bay and surrounding waterways
Together, we are building a coordinated regional approach to boating safety rooted in prevention, accountability, and education.
Education saves lives. Yet under current law, only operators born on or after January 1, 1988 are required to complete a formal boater safety course. This means the majority of boat operators on Florida’s waterways are navigating powerful vessels without standardized training, certification, or demonstrated knowledge of the rules of the water.
Decade after decade, the data tells the same story: the majority of operators involved in deadly boating accidents have no formal boating education.
We would never accept someone driving a car or flying a plane without proper training and a license. There is no reason boating should be any different—especially as vessels become faster, waterways more crowded, and the consequences of reckless behavior more severe.
Today, with stronger laws and real criminal accountability in place, the stakes are higher than ever. Education and responsibility are no longer optional. They are essential.
Making boater education mandatory for all operators is not just a priority for the Lucy Fernandez Foundation. It is a promise.
We will continue to advocate for:
• Mandatory boater safety education for all operators
• Standardized training and certification requirements
• Expanded public access to education programs
• A cultural shift where safe boating is the norm, not the exception
Our goal is not enforcement alone. Our goal is prevention. We believe education empowers boaters to protect themselves, their passengers, and every family who shares our waterways—so that boating remains the joyful and beautiful pastime it was always meant to be.
Our advocacy is rooted in love, driven by responsibility, and guided by the belief that every life matters. We will continue to lead, convene, educate, and advocate until Florida’s waterways are safer for every family, every child, and every boater.
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