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Committee advances bill raising river pilot draft limit to 29 feet
Summary
House Bill 24 26, as amended, increases the maximum draft for river pilots from 27 to 29 feet; sponsors said the change aligns standards with deeper shipping channels and pilot training requirements. The amendment made the bill effective immediately; the measure passed unanimously.
The Commerce Committee approved House Bill 24 26 as amended to raise the maximum draft size for river pilots from 27 feet to 29 feet.
A staff summary described the bill as updating the maximum draft for river pilots. The chair offered an amendment (A030001) to change the effective date from 60 days to immediate effect; Jen summarized that the amendment makes the bill effective immediately, and the committee passed the amendment unanimously.
Representative Bellman (the bill sponsor) addressed the committee and praised river pilots’ training and experience, noting the joint Pennsylvania-Delaware pilot training program and the extensive apprenticeship and licensing the pilots undergo. Bellman referenced the Delaware River’s 2021 deepening to 45 feet and said increasing the maximum draft would allow pilots to handle larger, more heavily loaded vessels and align standards with modern shipping.
Representative Parker offered brief supportive remarks. The committee recorded no negative votes and the chair declared the bill passed as amended.
The amendment alters the effective date to immediate effect; the bill text will determine precise implementation steps for pilot licensing and any downstream regulatory changes.
