House passes Kulik legislation to address abandoned boats on PA waterways
Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik May 7, 2025 | 3:16 PM
HARRISBURG, May 7 – State Rep. Anita Kulik, D-Allegheny, announced today that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed her legislation to address enforcement and cleanup efforts for abandoned and derelict vessels on Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams.
Kulik, who also chairs the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said ADVs are boats that are no longer maintained and are often left indefinitely at docks or along shorelines.
“Abandoned and derelict boats threaten public safety by blocking waterways, put our first responders in dangerous situations when investigating, and pollute our public waters through fuel or other hazardous materials that leak into the water and debris from deteriorating materials like plastics, fiberglass and other synthetics,” Kulik said. “Additionally, ownership of these boats can be difficult to determine, and their removal may fall on local governments, which can be a costly and complicated process.”
Under H.B. 103, the penalty for abandoning a boat would be raised from a summary offense to a third-degree misdemeanor. The bill also introduces clear definitions for "abandoned boats," "at-risk boats" and "derelict boats," which are currently absent from state law, to empower municipalities and local law enforcement to investigate and take action on these cases.
"Our waterways are a shared public resource, and we have a responsibility to preserve them for future generations," Kulik added. “My bill aims to deter owners from abandoning boats and provide local police and communities with the tools to protect their waters and address this growing problem.”
The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration.
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