Conn. Gen. Stat. § 15-13

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 15-13 - Pilots; qualifications; extension of route; license fee; bond; suspension or revocation of license; inactive status; limited licenses; written procedures

(a) The Connecticut Port Authority shall license as many residents of this state and any other state as said authority deems necessary and finds qualified to act as pilots for one year in any of the ports and waters of this state including the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound. A license shall be denied to any person holding a license or authority under the laws of any other state that does not issue a license or authority to pilots licensed by the authority. Except as provided in this section, no person shall be so licensed unless such person possesses a federal masters license and has procured a federal first class pilot's license of unlimited tonnage issued by the United States Coast Guard covering the sections of the waters of this state for which application is being made to said authority. Each applicant for a license to act as a pilot for any port or waterway of the state, including the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound, shall document that such applicant has made the following passages on ocean-going vessels of not less than four thousand gross tons, through the port or waterway for which application is being made during the thirty-six months immediately preceding such application:

(1) Twelve round trips on American vessels under enrollment as pilot of record, on which the applicant is not a crew member; or

(2) twenty-four round trips as observing pilot on foreign or registered vessels during which the applicant does the piloting work under the supervision and authority of a pilot licensed by this state, provided the applicant possesses a first class pilot's license issued by the United States Coast Guard for the port or waterway; or

(3) any combination of the above requirements for trips, substituting two observer trips for each trip as pilot of record.

(b) An extension of route for waters of this state, including the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound, for which application is being made by a pilot currently licensed by the authority for eastern Long Island Sound and at least one of the ports of New London, New Haven or Bridgeport, shall be granted provided the applicant (1) has procured a federal first class pilot's license of unlimited tonnage issued by the United States Coast Guard covering the sections of the waters of this state, including the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound, for which application for an extension of route is being made, and (2) can document that, within the thirty-six months immediately preceding such application, the applicant has made six round trips through the port or waterway for which application is being made as (A) observing pilot on vessels under enrollment or vessels under register subject to compulsory pilotage under sections 15-15 and 15-15c, during which the applicant does the piloting work under the supervision and authority of a pilot licensed by this state, or (B) pilot of record on American vessels under enrollment on which the applicant is not a crew member.

(c) Each pilot shall, upon the granting of a license, pay a fee of thirty dollars to said authority and shall give a bond of one thousand dollars to the Treasurer and the Treasurer's successors in office, with surety, to the acceptance of the authority, conditioned for the faithful performance of his or her duties as a pilot, upon which bond suit may be brought in the name of said Treasurer for the benefit of any person who may suffer loss or damage, by reason of the ignorance, neglect or misconduct of such pilot in the discharge of such pilot's duties. The authority shall increase such fee by fifty per cent July 1, 1985, by an additional fifty per cent effective July 1, 1989, by an additional twenty-five per cent effective July 1, 1991, and by an additional twenty-five per cent effective July 1, 1993.

(d) Each license shall expire on the last day of December following its issuance and may be renewed upon application and payment of the fee required by subsection (c) of this section, renewal of the bond required under subsection (c) of this section and proof of current federal licensure as required in subsection (a) of this section.

(e) The authority shall keep a record of each license and, if requested, shall furnish a certificate of such license.

(f) Said authority may suspend or revoke any pilot's license for (1) incompetence, (2) neglect of duty, (3) misconduct, or (4) using a vessel owned or operated by a person who has not obtained a certificate of compliance under the provisions of section 15-15e for the purpose of embarking or disembarking another vessel in open and unprotected waters. Any person aggrieved by the action of said authority under the provisions of this subsection may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183.

(g) Any pilot who has been away from duty for a period of not less than six months, or who has not completed a passage through any port or waterway for which such pilot is licensed during such period, shall be placed on inactive status. Such pilot shall complete at least one round trip over the port or waterway for which such pilot is licensed before resuming his or her duties as a pilot. The refresher passages shall be made in the company of an active pilot licensed by the state. Such pilot, before resuming pilotage duties, shall submit to the authority a list of completed refresher passages, including the name, gross tons and draft of each vessel involved, a description and date of each passage and the name of the attending pilot.

(h) The authority may issue limited licenses pursuant to this section. Such licenses may be limited according to a pilot's qualifications for operating a vessel, which shall include, but not be limited to, the type, size, gross tonnage or draft of a vessel.

(i) The authority shall adopt written procedures, in accordance with section 1-121, to carry out the purposes of this section.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 15-13

(1949 Rev., S. 4757; 1955, S. 2380d; 1967, P.A. 258; 1969, P.A. 815, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 797, S. 1; 872, S. 370; 1972, P.A. 48, S. 1; P.A. 73-405, S. 1; P.A. 76-436, S. 350, 681; P.A. 77-337, S. 2; 77-603, S. 30, 125; P.A. 85-413, S. 5, 8; P.A. 87-147; P.A. 90-274, S. 1; P.A. 92-178 , S. 2 , 3 ; P.A. 93-307 , S. 33 , 34 ; P.A. 94-188 , S. 18 , 30 ; P.A. 97-304 , S. 19 ; P.A. 05-288 , S. 63 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 , S. 22 , 165 .)

Amended by P.A. 22-0040, S. 24 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2022 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2022.

Amended by P.A. 15-0005, S. 22 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Special Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 15-0005, S. 165 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Special Session, eff. 7/6/2015.