Hawley proposes duck boat safety legislation

A Missouri senator has introduced legislation that could improve the safety of duck boats.

Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley announced the “Duck Boat Safety Enhancement Act of 2019” Thursday morning.

“For decades now, the NTSB has been making recommendations to make these rides safer, but Congress has failed to act. It’s my goal to change that by introducing this legislation today,” Hawley said.

The legislation would authorize recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board, which include the use of life jackets and making the duck boats more buoyant.

Seventeen people were killed in July when their duck boat sank during a thunderstorm on Table Rock Lake near Branson.

“Missouri still mourns the lives lost on Table Rock Lake last summer,” Hawley said. “Sadly though, this tragedy wasn’t the first of its kind.”

The NTSB made the recommendations three years after 13 people were killed in Arkansas when their duck boat sank in 1999.

Hawley’s legislation would also stop duck boats from operating in severe weather conditions.

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