For the 14th year, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers will be taking part in the national campaign known as Operation Dry Water, July 1-3.
For the very first year, however, Tennessee officers will be operating under a new law that makes a BUI (Boating Under the Influence) the exact same as a DUI. An individual operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher is breaking the law in Tennessee, the same as operating a motor vehicle.
Effective July 1, 2023, the new law passed in Tennessee authorizes courts to use the same sentencing alternatives for BUI cases as DUI cases and allows law enforcement officers to obtain search warrants to perform blood or breath tests.