Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 17, 2025 Hanson Milone Safe Boating Act signed into law HANSON MILONE SAFE BOATING BILL PASSES Massachusetts Boaters are now safer on the waterways with the passage of the Hanson Milone Act “SAFE BOATING IS NO ACCIDENT!” Shown above, Eric Hanson, Rep. Bruce Ayers, Rep Joan Meschino, Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, Lisa Milone, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, MMTA Boating Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Jessica Giannino & Chairman James Murphy. B OSTON – On Wednesday, January 8, 2025 Gov ernor Maura Healey signed a safe boater bill establishing a boater education program. The bill is the Hanson-Milone Act (S3011 Amendment to H4941). This legislation will mandate that boat operators in the Commonwealth obtain a boater safety certifi cate. The legislation was fi rst drafted over ten years ago by previous State Rep. Thomas Calter. It was most recently sponsored and championed by Rep. Kathleen LaNatra (Democrat 12th Plymouth) and former State Senator Susan Moran. The new law will require all who operate a boat in the Commonwealth fi rst to pass a boater safety test and be issued a boater safety certifi - cate, which must be present on the boat being operated at BROTHERS | FROM PAGE 13 “Saugus/Peabody wrestling gets better and better every year, and I’ve been blessed to have great teammates and great drilling partners this year,” Max said. “My drill partner has mainly been Mike Maraio (of Peabody) who’s captain with me. We always push each other to be the best wrestlers we can. And during live all times. The legislation provides certain exemptions to the requirements for individuals such as merchant mariners, active members of the Armed Forces who are qualifi ed to operate motorboats, or students of a secondary or maritime school or college who operate motorboats as part of instruction. Individuals who previously possessed a boater safety certifi cate will not be required to receive another certifi cate or retake an examination. There are also inclusions for reciprocity for boaters with NASBLA-approved certifi cates from other states or MA boaters who already have a boater safety certifi cate. Massachusetts Marine Trades Association Executive Director Randall Lyons - “The signing of the Hanson Milone safe boating bill provides a wrestling, me, Lukas Fondulis (of Saugus), Maraio and Justin Bremberg (of Saugus) usually always go with each other, and we always wrestle as hard as we can to make each other better.” Max also noted the support from his family, especially from parents Kelly and Vincent, Uncle Tony and grandparents Sandy and Vinny and his brother, plus all his coaches gateway to further education for the recreational boating industry in Massachusetts, leading to lives saved on the waterways for years to come. Thank you to many involved in passing the bill, especially Rep. LaNatra and Christopher Jean, her Chief of Staff, for their many years of working on this bill. Thank you also to Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, and Chairman Michael Rodrigues for their support and fi nal approval of the bill. An element of the new law can be directly related to a recent statistic released by the US Coast Guard – “Where instruction was known, 75% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety education”. - As the late great Paul Milone frequently said – “Safe Boating is no Accident.”. have played a big part in getting him to where he is today. Wrestling is year-round for him, but Max does find free time to hang out with his brother and friends for hikes, beach runs, and, not shockingly, some playful boxing. Over the summer, he’s had a gig at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. “I’m prideful to carry on the wrestling legacy because not THANK YOU! Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, Chairman Rodrigues, Chairman Michlewitz, Representative LaNatra, and the entire MA State Administration for helping to pass this extremely important safe boating bill The bill is named after David Hanson, a young man who tragically lost his life in a boating accident in 2010, and Paul Milone, the late harbormaster from Weymouth who dedicated his life to boat safety and was a major proponent and advocate for this legislation. The Hanson and Milone families have been strong advocates for passing this crucial legislation and were able to participate in the offi cial announcement of the bill passing at an event at the Discover Boating New England Boat Show on Wednesday night. Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll presented the signed only is it the greatest sport in the world, but it’s the hardest sport, too,” Max said. “Your wins and losses are a complete refl ection of how hard you work, and no one can help you but yourself on the mat; it’s just you and the other guy, and you’re both trying your absolute hardest to break each other.” Usually, it’s Max ending up on the right side of that “break.” “I love wrestling so it’s hard bill to Lisa Milone, Paul’s widow, and Eric Hanson, David’s brother. The timeline for implementation of the Hanson-Milone Act is as follows: Guidance will be published by the offi ce of law enforcement no later than October 1, 2025 Anyone born after January 1, 1989, has until April 1, 2026, to obtain their certifi - cate, provided that no operator shall be assessed a penalty until September 1, 2026. Anyone born on or before January 1, 1989, must obtain their certifi cate before April 1, 2028. to fi nd a part of it that’s ‘tough’ because training in the room when you and your partner are beating each other up is considered ‘hard,’ but I love that part of wrestling,” he said. “Going on the mat and battling six minutes with a kid trying to rip your head off is ‘tough,’ but I love that too. I think I overcome most of the ‘tough’ of wrestling just by loving the sport.”
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