§200-8 Boating program; payment of costs. The cost of administering a comprehensive statewide boating program, including but not limited to the cost of:

(1) Operating, maintaining, and managing all boating facilities under the control of the department;

(2) Improving boating safety;

(3) Operating a vessel registration and boating casualty investigation and reporting system;

(4) Other boating program activities; and

(5) Planning, developing, managing, operating, or maintaining of all lands and improvements under the control and management of the board, including but not limited to permanent or temporary staff positions who may be appointed without regard to chapter 76,

shall be paid from the boating special fund; provided that any fees collected within small boat harbors shall be expended only for costs related to the operation, upkeep, maintenance, and improvement of the small boat harbors. The amortization (principal and interest) of the costs of capital improvements for boating facilities appropriated after July 1, 1975, including but not limited to berths, slips, ramps, related accommodations, general navigation channels, breakwaters, aids to navigation, and other harbor structures, may be paid from the boating special fund or from general revenues as the legislature may authorize in each situation. Revenues provided in this chapter for the boating special fund shall be at least sufficient to pay the special fund costs established in this section. [L 1991, c 272, pt of §2; am L 2011, c 197, §5; am L 2015, c 96, §2]