Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:3378 Primary Sponsor:Gregory Committee Number:26 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Pilotage for the Port of Charleston Residing Body:House Current Committee:Labor, Commerce and Industry Companion Bill Number:569 Computer Document Number:3378 Introduced Date:Jan 31, 1991 Last History Body:House Last History Date:Jan 31, 1991 Last History Type:Introduced, read first time, referred to Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Gregory Nettles Short Boan Wilkins Kirsh J. Brown Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN
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3378 House Jan 31, 1991 Introduced, read first time, 26
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND SECTION 54-15-60, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF PILOTAGE FOR THE PORT OF CHARLESTON, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT FOR RECOMMENDATION BY A MAJORITY OF THE LICENSED PILOTS; TO AMEND SECTION 54-15-100, RELATING TO APPRENTICES FOR THE PORT, SO AS TO DELETE THE AGE LIMITATION FOR APPRENTICES OVER TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF AGE; TO AMEND SECTION 54-15-120, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSING PILOTS IN THE PORT, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE CONSIDERATION OF PREVIOUS MARITIME EXPERIENCE, REVISE THE LIMITATION OF THE NUMBER OF LICENSES GRANTED THROUGH REGULATIONS, AND PROVIDE FOR EMERGENCY AND TEMPORARY LICENSES; TO AMEND SECTION 54-15-130, RELATING TO THE LIMITATION OF THE NUMBER OF LICENSED PILOTS, SO AS TO REVISE THE LIMITATION THROUGH REGULATION; TO REPEAL SECTION 54-15-180 RELATING TO THE COMMISSION AND USE OF PILOT BOATS FOR PILOTAGE; TO REPEAL SECTION 54-15-200 RELATING TO THE RESTRICTIONS ON OTHER BUSINESSES OF A PILOT; AND TO REAUTHORIZE THE EXISTENCE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF PILOTAGE FOR THE PORT FOR SIX YEARS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 54-15-60 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 54-15-60. (A) The commissioners of pilotage for the port of Charleston shall, from time to time, organize a board of examiners for the port of Charleston to consist of three nautical men, at least one of whom must be licensed for the port of Charleston under the provisions of Sections 54-15-120 and 54-15-130. No one is eligible for examination by the board of examiners until he has satisfactorily completed completes his apprenticeship and is recommended by a majority of the pilots licensed under Sections 54-15-120 and 54-15-130 for the port of Charleston.
(B) The board of examiners shall examine all eligible and recommended applicants as to their competency to work or manage vessels and generally to discharge the duties of a pilot. All examinations Examinations for license are oral and, written, and by demonstration and include the following requisites: the
(1) rules of the road, the;
(2) use of a compass, the;
(3) set of currents, the;
(4) boarding of vessels in heavy weather, the;
(5) bearings of noted objects, numbers, shapes, and colors of buoys, the;
(6) use of the sextant, and;
(7) other matters as the commissioners of pilotage for the port of Charleston include in the examination.
(C) No license or branch may be granted to any a person unless he has received a certificate of his competency signed by a majority of the board of examiners."
SECTION 2. Section 54-15-100 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 54-15-100. Apprentices for the port of Charleston are taken only by pilots licensed under Sections 54-15-120 and 54-15-130 for the port of Charleston, and must be approved by the commissioners of pilotage for the port of Charleston. They must not be under eighteen nor over twenty-eight years of age, must be a graduate of an accredited four-year college, or shall hold an unlimited ocean third mate's license, must have 20-20 visual acuity uncorrected or corrected by contact lens, must have good color vision evidenced by ability to distinguish colors by means of the Stilling's Test or other equivalent test as accepted by the United States Coast Guard, must have good natural hearing, and any must have other physical and mental qualifications required by the commissioners of pilotage for the port of Charleston. Satisfactory certificates of the above requirements of this section must be filed with the commissioners of pilotage for the port of Charleston before the applicant may be accepted as an apprentice."
SECTION 3. Section 54-15-120 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 54-15-120. (A) Apprentices in the port of Charleston shall serve three years before being eligible to take an examination for a twenty-three foot license or branch. During their apprenticeship licensed pilots shall take such apprentices on board all types of vessels, so that they may become thoroughly competent for the discharge of their duties. They must shall hold a:
(1) twenty-three foot license or branch with a tonnage restrictiod nin restriction in service six months before being eligible to take an examination for a twenty-three foot license or branch with no tonnage restriction; and must hold a
(2) twenty-three foot license or branch with no tonnage restriction in service six months before being eligible for a twenty-seven foot license or branch; and hold a
(3) twenty-seven foot license or branch in service one year before being eligible to take an examination for a thirty foot license or branch; and hold a
(4) thirty foot license or branch in service one year before being eligible to take an examination for a full license or branch.
(B) In determining qualifications for apprentices the commissioners of pilotage may consider previous maritime experience in the port as defined by regulation. No apprentice, however, shall may be granted a license until the number of pilots shall have fallen falls below fifteen the number set by the commissioners of pilotage for the port through regulations promulgated in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
(C) Should If two or more apprentices be are eligible to offer for examination at the same time, the seniority of securing a license shall must be determined by the proficiency of the respective apprentices, established at such the examination.
(D) In accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioners of pilotage for the port, apprentices for the port may be granted emergency or temporary licenses if necessary."
SECTION 4. Section 54-15-130 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 54-15-130. The number of pilots for the bar and harbor of Charleston shall may not exceed fifteen the number set by the commissioners of pilotage for the port of Charleston through regulations promulgated in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. The number of pilots for the port of Port Royal shall be is limited to twelve and for the bar and harbor of Georgetown to three, with power to the commissioners of pilotage to increase the number for the port of Port Royal to fifteen and for Georgetown to five, if in their judgment the commerce of either of such ports shall require such port requires the increase. The number of pilots for the other ports shall must be fixed by the commissioners of pilotage at such the ports; but such. However, the limit in number shall does not operate as an exclusion of any exclude a pilot who holds a regularly issued license. The board shall make no distinction in the selection of pilots on account of race, color, or previous condition."
SECTION 5. Section 54-15-180 of the 1976 Code is repealed.
SECTION 6. Section 54-15-200 of the 1976 Code is repealed.
SECTION 7. In accordance with Section 1-20-60 of the 1976 Code the existence of the Commissioners of Pilotage for the Port of Charleston is reauthorized for six years.
SECTION 8. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.