An Act to provide for certain pilotage requirements in the navigation of U.S. waters of the Great Lakes, and for other purposes.
PL 86-555 (S.3019), enacted 06/30/1960

^4 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-555-JUNE 30, 1960 
259 
Public Law 86-555 
AN ACT 
To provide for certain pilotage requirements in the navigation of United States 
waters of tlie Great Lakes, and for other purposes. 
June 30, 1960 
[S. 30 19] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may 
be cited as the "Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960." 
SEC. 2. As used in this Act: 
(a) "Great Lakes" means Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, 
and Ontario, their connecting and tributary waters, the Saint Law-
rence River as far east as Saint Regis, and adjacent port areas. 
(b) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Commerce. 
(c) "United States registered pilot" means a person, other than a 
member of the regular complement of a vessel, who holds an unlimited 
master's license authorizing navigation on the Great Lakes and suit-
ably endorsed for pilotage on routes specified therein, issued by the 
head of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating under 
regulations issued by him, and is registered by the Secretary as 
])rovided in section 4 of this Act. 
(d) "Canadian registered pilot" means a person, other than a mem-
ber of the regular complement of a vessel, who holds a master's cer-
tificate or equivalent license authorizing navigation on the Great 
Lakes and pilotage on routes specified therein, issued by the appro-
priate agency of Canada, and is registered by a designated agency of 
Canada on substantially the same basis as registration by the Secretary 
under the provisions of section 4 of this Act. 
(e) "Other officer" means the master or any other member of the 
regular complement of the vessel concerned who is qualified for the 
navigation of the Great Lakes waters described in section 3(b) of this 
Act and who is either licensed by the head of the Department in which 
the Coast Guard is operating under regulations issued by him or cer-
tificated by an appropriate agency of Canada. 
(f) "Foreign vessels" means all foreign merchant vessels except 
Canadian vessels whose operations are exclusively upon the Great 
Lakes or between ports in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, 
or whose operations while predominately as aforesaid fail of being 
exclusively so only because of an occasional voyage to a port or ports 
in the maritime provinces of Canada in the Canadian coastal trade. 
SEC. 3. (a) The President shall designate and by proclamation an-
nounce those United States waters of the Great Lakes in which regis-
tered vessels of the United States and foreign vessels shall be required 
to have in their service a United States registered pilot or a Canadian 
registered pilot for the waters concerned, who shall, subject to the 
customary authority of the master, direct the navigation or the vessel 
in those waters. These designations shall be made with due regard 
to the public interest, the effective utilization of navigable waters, 
marine safety, and the foreign relations of the United States. 
(b) In those United States waters of the Great Lakes which are not 
designated by the President in accordance with paragraph (a) of this 
section, there shall be on board registered vessels of the United States 
and foreign vessels, a United States registered pilot or Canadian 
registered pilot or other officer qualified for the waters concerned who 
shall be available to direct the navigation of the vessel in such undesig-
nated waters at the discretion of and subject to the customary 
authority of the master. 
(c) The authority extended in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this 
section to Canadian registered pilots or to other officers certificated 
G r e a t L a k e s 
P i l o t a g e Act ot 
1960. 
Definitions. 
Registered pilot, 
designation. 
Foreign vessels, 
operation. 
C an a d i an ves-
sels, operation. 
260 
PUBLIC LAW 86-555-JUNE 30, 1960 
[74 ST A T . 
Registration 
U. S. pilots. 
o f 
D o c u m e n t a r y 
evidence. 
Validity of reg-
istration. 
Equitable 
par-
ticipation, 
U.S.-
Canada. 
P o o l s , 
tions. 
reguli 
by Canada to serve on registered vessels of the United States and 
foreign vesels in United States waters of the Great Lakes shall be in 
effect only so long as Canada extends reciprocity to United States 
registered pilots or to other officers licensed by the United States, in 
regard to requirements established for the pilotage of Canadian 
waters of the Great Lakes. 
SEC. 4. (a) The registration of United States pilots shall be carried 
out by the Secretary under such regulations as to qualifications, terms, 
and conditions which will assure adequate and efficient pilotage serv' 
ice, provide for equitable participation of United States registered 
pilots with Canadian registered pilots in the pilotage of vessels to 
which this Act applies, and provide fair and reasonable opportunity 
for registration. 
Each applicant must, as a prerequisite, be the 
holder of an appropriate master's license as described in section 2(c). 
In addition, the qualifications, terms, and conditions to be met by 
each applicant shall include, but not be limited to, availability for 
service when required and agreement to comply with all applicable 
regulations issued by the Secretary pursuant to this Act. 
Such quali-
fications, terms, and conditions shall not include matters relating to 
a pilot's professional competency nor be inconsistent with his duties 
under the license issued to him by the Coast Guard, which matters 
shall remain the responsibility of the Coast Guard. 
(b) The Secretary shall issue documentary evidence of registration 
to United States registered pilots and such evidence shall be in their 
possession at all times when in the service of a vessel. Further, this 
evidence of registration shall describe the part or parts of the Great 
Lakes within which the holder is authorized to perform pilotage under 
this Act and such description shall not be inconsistent with the terms 
of the pilotage authorization in his license. 
(c) The Secretary shall establish by regulation the period of validity 
of registration of United States registered pilots. When the Secre-
tary determines on the record, after notice and opportunity for a 
hearing, that a United States registered pilot has violated any regula-
tion pursuant to this Act, he may revoke or suspend the registration 
of such pilot. 
The basis for such revocation or suspension of a pilot's 
registration shall not extend to or include matters which may be the 
basis for revocation or suspension of his license by the Coast Guard 
under section 4450, Revised Statutes, as amended (46 U.S.C. 239), or 
under any other law or regulation administered or prescribed by the 
Coast Guard, except that upon revocation or suspension by the Coast 
Guard the Secretary shall revoke or suspend the pilot's registration. 
The Secretary shall advise the Coast Guard of the name and Coast 
Guard license number of each pilot who has been registered or whose 
registration has been revoked or suspended. 
The Coast Guard shall 
advise the Secretary of the name of any registered pilot whose licence 
has been revoked or suspended. 
(d) The Secretary is authorized to enter into arrangements with 
an appropriate agency of Canada for equitable participation by 
United States registered pilots with Canadian registered pilots in 
the pilotage services required by both countries for vessels navigating 
the Great Lakes. To that end, the Secretary is further authorized 
to arrange with an appropriate agency of Canada for the number of 
pilots who shall be registered in each country. 
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the Secretary 
may authorize the formation of a pool or pools by a voluntary asso-
ciation or associations of United States registered pilots to provide 
such arrangements and facilities as may be necessary or desirable for 
74 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-555-JUNE 30, 1960 
261 
the efficient dispatching of vessels and rendering of pilotage services 
required under the provisions of this Act. 
The Secretary may— 
(i) establish such rules and regulations for the operation of a 
pool or pools as he may deem necessary; 
(ii) require that pooling be coordmated on a reciprocal basis 
with similar arrangements established by the appropriate agency 
of Canada; 
(iii) limit the number of pools; 
(iv) audit and inspect the administration and operation of a 
pool or pools; 
(v) prescribe uniform systems of accounts for a pool or pools. 
SEC. 5. (a) The Secretary is authorized and directed to establish 
by regulations the rates, charges, and any other conditions or terms 
for services performed by registered pilots to meet the provisions of 
this Act. 
(b) The Secretary is authorized to arrange with the appropriate 
agency of Canada for the establishment of joint or identical rates, 
charges, and any other conditions or terms for services by registered 
pilots in the waters of the Great Lakes. 
(c) The rates, charges, and any other conditions or terms for pilot-
age services by registered pilots established by the Secretary in accord-
ance with subdivisions (a) and (b) of this section shall be fair and 
equitable, giving due consideration to the public interest and the 
reasonable cost and expense of providing and maintaining such facili-
ties and arrangements as are required for the efficient performance 
of pilotage services in accordance with the provisions oi this Act. 
SEC. 6. Any written arrangements between the Secretary and the 
appropriate agency of Canada under the provisions of this Act shall 
be subject to the concurrence of the Secretary of State. 
SEC. 7. (a) Any owner, master, or person in charge of a vessel sub-
ject to this Act who permits the navigation of the vessel by a person 
not a registered pilot in the waters designated by the President pur-
suant to section 3(a) of this Act or who permits the navigation of the 
vessel without having on board a registered pilot or other officer in 
the waters described m section 3(b) of this Act shall be liable to the 
United States in a civil penalty not exceeding $500 for each violation, 
for which sum the vessel shall be liable and may be seized and pro-
ceeded against by way of libel in any district court of the United 
States having jurisdiction thereof. Each day the vessel shall be so 
navigated shall constitute a separate violation. 
This subsection shall 
be enforced by the head of the Department in which the Coast Guard 
is operating. 
(b) Any person, not a registered pilot, who directs the navigation 
of a vessel subject to this Act in the waters designated by the Presi-
dent pursuant to section 3(a) of this Act, shall be subject to a civil 
penalty in an amount not exceeding $500 for each violation. 
Each 
day such person so directs the navigation of such vessel shall consti-
tute a separate violation. 
This subsection shall be enforced by the 
head of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating. 
(c) A person who violates any regulation issued pursuant to sections 
4 and 5 of this Act shall be liable to the United States in a civil penalty 
not exceeding $500 for each violation. 
The provisions of this sub-
section shall be enforced by the Secretary, who may, upon application 
therefor, remit or mitigate the penalty provided for herein, upon 
such terms as he, in his discretion, shall thinK i)roper. 
SEC. 8. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a vessel 
may be navigated in the United States waters of the Great Lakes pilots.' 
without a United States or Canadian registered pilot when— 
Services, rates, 
charges, etc. 
Violations, pen-
alties. 
Operation with-
out r e g i s t e r e d 
262 
PUBLIC LAW 86-556-JUNE 30, 1960 
[74 ST A T . 
«*Laker»» 
sels. 
Advisory Com< 
mittee. 
(a) the Secretary, or his designee, with the concurrence of the 
head of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, 
or his designee, notifies the master that a United States or Cana-
dian registered pilot is not available, or 
(b) the vessel or its cargo is in distress or jeopardy. 
Local authority. 
gjjc. 9. (a) No State, municipal, or other local authority shall have 
any power to require the use of pilots or to regulate any aspect of 
pilotage in any of the waters specified in this Act. 
(b) Nothing in this Act shall apply to any vessel of the United 
States which, in its navigation of waters to which this Act is 
applicable, is required by any other Act to have in its service and on 
board pilots or other navigating officers licensed by the United States 
for such waters. 
(c) The exceptions in section 2(f) applying to Canadian vessels shall 
be effective only so long as Canada permits enrolled vessels of the 
United States to be navigated on Canadian waters of the Great Lakes 
solely by qualified officers licensed by the head of the Department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating. 
SEC. 10. (a) The Secretary is authorized to appoint an Advisory 
Committee of three public members, each of whom shall have had at 
least five years of practical experience in maritime operations. 
The 
term for which a member may be appointed or reappointed shall not 
exceed five years. 
(b) The Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the Secretary. 
The Advisory Committee may review proposed pilotage regulations 
and policies and make such recommendations as are deemed appro-
priate. 
(c) Members of the Advisory Committee shall be compensated at 
a rate not exceeding $75 per day when actually engaged in the per-
formance of their duties, together with their necessary travel expenses 
while going to and from meetings and when engaged on business at 
the call of the Secretary. 
SEC. 11. The Secretary may use, with their consent, the available 
services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of agencies and instru-
mentalities of the Federal Government, on a reimbursable basis when 
appropriate. 
SEC. 12. If a provision of this Act or the application of such provi-
sion to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, the remainder 
of the Act and the application of such provision to persons or cir-
cumstances other than those to which it is held invalid shall not be 
affected thereby. 
SEC. 13. This Act shall become effective upon the date of its enact-
ment, except that the pilotage provisions of this Act shall not become 
effective until the first day of the fourth month following the issuance 
of regulations pursuant hereto by the Secretary. 
Approved June 30, 1960. 
Use of services, 
equipment, etc. 
Effective date. 
June 30, 1960 
[S. 3072] 
Public Law 86-556 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to effect the payment of certain 
claims against the United States. 
Treasury Depart-
ment. 
cTa! 
tain claims. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary 
of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to pay, out of any 
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sum as may 
be necessary to effect full and final settlement of the following claims 
against the United States: