California Code of Regulations
Title 7 - Harbors and Navigation
Division 2 - State Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun
Article 6 - Government of Pilots, Inland Pilots and Trainees
Section 218 - Duties of Port Agent
Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 12, March 22, 2024
(a) A majority of all of the pilots licensed by the Board shall select from among their members one person to act as Port Agent, whose duties shall be to carry out the orders of the Board, under applicable laws, and to otherwise administer the affairs of the pilots as set forth herein. The selection of the Port Agent shall be subject to confirmation by the Board.
(b) The Port Agent shall be responsible for the general supervision and management of all matters related to the business and official duties of pilots.
(c) In carrying out his or her duties, the Port Agent shall be primarily guided by the need for safety of persons, property, vessels and the marine environment.
(d) The Port Agent shall:
(e) The Port Agent may delegate to any other pilot one or more of the duties set forth herein if, in his or her opinion, delegation is necessary to assure its proper performance. The Port Agent shall, however, remain responsible for the proper performance of any duty so delegated.
(f) The Port Agent shall report to the Board in writing whenever any pilot is absent from duty for medical reasons for a period lasting longer than seven days. The report shall state the nature of the medical condition causing the absence, the probable duration of the pilot's absence from duty, and the anticipated date of his or her return to duty. The Port Agent shall also report to the Board in writing the date of departure from and return to duty of any pilot who is on a leave of absence.
(g) In the event of a serious marine incident, as that term is defined in Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 4.03-2, or in any successor regulations thereto, which incident involved an assigned pilot, the Port Agent shall direct that pilot to undergo timely drug and alcohol testing, pilotage duties and safety permitting. Such testing shall conform to applicable regulations of the U.S. Coast Guard for post incident drug and alcohol testing of merchant vessel personnel (currently at Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart 4.06) and, in addition, shall include testing for the presence of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-convulsants, barbiturates, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, sedative hypnotics, and opiates contained in pain medication. In the event of a navigational incident involving an assigned pilot which results in the holing of the hull of a vessel, a rebuttable presumption shall exist that the incident meets the definition of a serious marine incident for the purposes of this subsection.
(h) If the Port Agent has reasonable cause to believe that an assigned pilot has been impaired by drug or alcohol while on duty, he or she shall direct that pilot to undergo timely drug and alcohol testing, pilotage duties and safety permitting. Where practicable, the Port Agent shall make his or her reasonable cause determination in combination with two other pilots. The Port Agent shall expeditiously inform the U.S. Coast Guard and the Board, orally and in writing, of his or her determination and the basis therefor. Such drug and alcohol testing shall conform to applicable regulations of the U.S. Coast Guard for reasonable-cause drug and alcohol testing of merchant vessel personnel (currently at Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 16.250 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 40) and, in addition, shall include testing for the presence of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-convulsants, barbiturates, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, sedative hypnotics, and opiates contained in pain medication.
(i) Upon being directed by the Port Agent to obtain drug and alcohol testing pursuant to this section, a pilot shall expeditiously proceed, piloting duties and safety permitting, to an appropriate facility used by the pilots for drug and alcohol testing and meeting U.S. Coast Guard requirements (currently at Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 40.81), and shall obtain such drug and alcohol testing, as directed. An unreasonable failure by a pilot to obtain drug and alcohol testing as directed under this section shall result in a rebuttable presumption that the pilot had been impaired by drug or alcohol while on duty in violation of Harbors and Navigation Code Section 1181(f). In addition, the Port Agent shall promptly notify the U.S. Coast Guard and the Board, orally and in writing, of the failure by a pilot to undergo drug and alcohol testing as directed under this section.
1. New section
filed 5-9-88; operative 6-8-88 (Register 88, No. 20). For history of former
section, see Registers 59, No. 11 and 57, No. 11.
2. Renumbering of
former section
218 to section
220 and renumbering and amendment
of former 215 to section
218 filed 8-12-93; operative
9-13-93 (Register 93, No. 33).
3. New subsections (g)-(i) and
amendment of NOTE filed 6-16-94; operative 7-18-94 (Register 94, No.
24).
4. Amendment of subsection (d) and NOTE filed 2-23-95;
operative 3-27-95 (Register 95, No. 8).
5. Amendment of subsection
(c)(1) filed 7-31-95; operative 8-30-95 (Register 95, No. 31).
6.
Amendment of section and NOTE filed 6-3-2003; operative 7-3-2003 (Register
2003, No. 23).
7. Amendment of subsections (c), (c)(1)(A),
(c)(1)(A)3. and (c)(1)(A)5., repealer of subsection (c)(1)(A)6., amendment of
subsections (c)(1)(B), (c)(1)(B)3., (c)(1)(B)5., (c)(1)(C) and (c)(1)(C)4. and
amendment of NOTE filed 12-6-2004; operative 1-5-2005 (Register 2004, No.
50).
8. New subsection (c), subsection relettering, amendment of
newly designated subsections (d)(1)(A)3., (d)(1)(B)3., (d)(5) and (d)(6), new
subsections (d)(6)(A)-(d)(7), subsection renumbering and repealer of former
subsection (d) filed 8-16-2011; operative 9-15-2011 (Register 2011, No.
33).
9. Amendment of subsections (f)-(i) and amendment of NOTE filed
1-24-2014; operative 4-1-2014 (Register 2014, No. 4).
10. Amendment
of subsections (d)(1)(A)3., (d)(1)(B)3. and (d)(7) filed 10-6-2016; operative
1-1-2017 (Register 2016, No. 41).
Note: Authority cited: Section 1154, Harbors and Navigation Code. Reference: Sections 1100, 1101(c), 1101(f), 1130, 1171.5, 1176, 1176.5, 1177(c) and 1181(f), Harbors and Navigation Code; Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 4.03-2 and Part 16; and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 40.