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.
This bill updates Pennsylvania's 1803 laws to regulate commercial pilots operating in the Delaware Bay and River. It requires individuals wishing to work as pilots to apply for a license from the Navigation Commission, which will evaluate their skills and issue permits based on the size of vessels they can safely navigate. The legislation establishes a six-tiered licensing system where each class corresponds to a specific maximum draft of vessels, ranging from deep-draft ships to smaller boats. Anyone attempting to pilot a vessel larger than one hundred tons without a valid license faces civil penalties and potential jail time. These rules will become effective 60 days after the bill is enacted.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2026
Committee Review
Jul 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Senate Passage
Jul 2026
Signed into Law
Jul 2026
Introduced Apr 18, 2026
Signed Jul 20, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Printer's No. PN3227
→
Printer's No. PN3281
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill text was updated from Printer's Number 3227 to 3281, reflecting amendments made by the House of Representatives. The most significant policy change is in the effective date: the bill now takes effect immediately rather than waiting 60 days. Additionally, the list of sponsors was updated to include a new sponsor, Kenyatta, and the committee referral status was changed to indicate the bill has been reported out of committee.
Scope change
The bill's applicability timeline changed from a delayed effective date to an immediate effective date.
TIMELINE
The effective date of the bill changed from 60 days after passage to immediate effect.
TECHNICAL
A new sponsor, Kenyatta, was added to the list of bill sponsors.
The committee status was updated to show the bill was reported from the Commerce Committee on April 27, 2026.
Floor votes · Senate Jul 10, 2026 · House May 6, 2026
How they voted
22–0
Passed
Total votes 22
Jul 10, 2026
D
Democratic8
100% Yea
R
Republican14
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
22
Key actions
8
Committee
7
Amendments
1
Jul 20, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor
upper
Jul 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
Jul 10, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (22-0)
senate
Jul 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Re-reported as committed
upper
Jun 30, 2026
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
upper
Jun 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported as committed
upper
May 20, 2026
Committee
Referred to Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure
upper
May 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
May 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
May 5, 2026
Committee
Re-committed to Appropriations
lower
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Apr 18, 2026
Committee
Referred to Commerce
lower
1 primary · 20 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Anthony Bellmon
DDemocratic
Co
Andre Carroll
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Waxman
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Hill-Evans
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Kazeem
DDemocratic
Co
Darisha Parker
DDemocratic
Co
Dave Madsen
DDemocratic
Co
Ed Neilson
DDemocratic
Co
Elizabeth Fiedler
DDemocratic
Co
Jared Solomon
DDemocratic
Co
Jeremy Shaffer
RRepublican
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