An Act amending the act of March 29, 1803 (P.L.542, No.156), entitled "An act to establish a Board of Wardens for the port of Philadelphia, and for the regulation of pilots and pilotages, and for other purposes therein m, the official text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3227
PRINTER'S NO.  3281
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2426
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY BELLMON, CONKLIN, KHAN, HILL-EVANS, T. DAVIS,
NEILSON, MALAGARI, DOUGHERTY, PARKER, CIRESI, CEPHAS,
SOLOMON, ISAACSON, FIEDLER, CARROLL, WAXMAN AND KENYATTA,
APRIL 18, 2026
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 27, 2026
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 29, 1803 (P.L.542, No.156), entitled
"An act to establish a Board of Wardens for the port of
Philadelphia, and for the regulation of pilots and pilotages,
and for other purposes therein mentioned," further providing
for pilots in the Delaware Bay and River.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1.  Section 17(a) of the act of March 29, 1803
(P.L.542, No.156), entitled "An act to establish a Board of
Wardens for the port of Philadelphia, and for the regulation of
pilots and pilotages, and for other purposes therein mentioned,"
is amended to read:
Section 17.  (a)  Every person not now a licensed pilot, and
who desires to exercise the profession of pilot in the Delaware
Bay and River, shall apply to the Navigation Commission for the
Delaware River and its navigable tributaries for a license to
entitle the person to follow that occupation; and it shall be
the duty of the Navigation Commission to call to their
assistance as many pilots of the first class as they may see
fit, not less than three in number, to examine every person so
applying, as to the person's fitness in all respects to perform
the duties of a pilot, and to grant licenses to all such as they
deem qualified, according to their respective abilities: Those
of the first class, to persons capable of piloting vessels of
any practicable draught of water; those of the second class, to
persons capable of piloting vessels drawing forty-five feet of
water, or under; those of the third class, to persons capable of
piloting vessels drawing forty feet of water, or under; those of
the fourth class, to persons capable of piloting vessels drawing
thirty-five feet of water, or under; those of the fifth class,
to persons capable of piloting vessels drawing thirty-two feet
of water or under; and those of the sixth class, to persons
capable of piloting vessels drawing [twenty-seven] twenty-nine
feet of water or under; which licenses shall be in force for one
year from the date thereof, and until the pilots, respectively,
shall next after the expiration of the year, arrive with any
vessel at the Port of Philadelphia, and no longer; but every
pilot delivering up the person's license shall be entitled to
receive a new one in lieu thereof, giving like security as
hereinafter directed, unless it shall appear to the Navigation
Commission that the person applying is disqualified from
exercising the duties of a pilot; and if any person shall in any
manner exercise or attempt to exercise the profession of a
pilot, except in vessels under one hundred tons burden, in the
Delaware Bay or River without license duly granted, or at any
time after the person's license shall have expired, the person
shall be liable for a civil penalty in an amount up to twice the
amount of pilotage, as calculated under existing law, and shall
also be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be imprisoned for not less than one month nor more than
one year, and be fined a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars,
at the discretion of the court.
* * *
Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days
IMMEDIATELY.