HB369 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Chris PringleRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Class 2 municipalities, State Pilotage Commission estab., Chapter 4, Title 33, Code of Alabama 1975 repealed and replaced, Sec. 33-4-1 to 33-4-57, inclusive, repealed
Summary: HB 369 creates a State Pilotage Commission in Class 2 municipalities to license and regulate bar pilots serving Mobile Bay and the Port of Mobile.
What This Bill Does
It establishes a three-member State Pilotage Commission in Class 2 municipalities to oversee bar pilots. It sets licensing, apprenticeship, exam, and qualification rules for pilots, and creates a framework for discipline, bonding, and liability protection. It also sets pilot fees, tariff rules, and annual audits, and defines the commission’s jurisdiction and relationship to port authorities and commerce agencies.

Who It Affects
Bar pilots and bar pilot apprentices: they must be licensed or branched by the commission, meet education and experience requirements, pass examinations, post bonds, and may be disciplined or retired under the act.
Vessel owners, masters, operators, shippers, and port users on Mobile Bay: they must pay pilot fees and abide by tariff schedules set by the commission; they are subject to rules on pilotage and potential exemptions or adjustments.

Key Provisions
Creation of a three-member State Pilotage Commission in each Class 2 municipality with defined categories of members (local maritime business, active bar pilot, local business/community).
Regulation of piloting activities, including rules on physical/mental fitness of pilots and the authority to require evidence of fitness.
Detailed apprenticeship and branching/licensing process for bar pilots, including seniority-based progression, education/licensing requirements, and a mandatory 100-round-trip training with a branched pilot.
Annual license/tax structure for pilots ($100 per year plus other assessments) and bond requirements for pilots before receiving a branch; funds managed by the commission with audits.
Disciplinary procedures for pilots (suspension, revocation, hearings, subpoenas) and liability protections, including limitations on damages and protections for pilot associations.
Pilotage tariff framework: fees based on draft and tonnage, minimums, special service charges, CPI-based annual adjustments, and no discounts for shippers; exemptions for certain vessels; etc.
Jurisdiction over Mobile Bay and Port of Mobile piloting activities, with exclusions for harbor masters and certain port-related officials; retirement age of 68 for pilots; reporting duties for environmental practices.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Pilotage Commission, State