2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-THREE - Public Planning and Development (§§ 1 — 11273) › PART II - Economic Development (§§ 231-241 — 695i) › Chapter 26 - Puerto Rico Harbor Pilot Commission (§§ 361 — 361v) › § 361h - Qualifications—Apprentice pilots

(a) In addition to meeting the other requirements of this chapter, each candidate to an appointment and licensing as a harbor pilot shall:
(1) Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, established by a copy of his/her birth certificate or other legal proof of age.
(2) Have completed and approved twelve (12) years of formal education, established by a high school diploma or by equivalent evidence thereof to the satisfaction of the Commission.
(3) Be mentally and physically healthy, established by documentary evidence after having satisfactorily passed a complete physical and psychiatric examination administered by a licensed physician and by a psychiatrist, respectively, who shall be designated by the Commission to administer these examinations, within a term of thirty (30) days before presenting his/her application. The Commission, in consultation with the Department of Health, and the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration, shall adopt through regulations, the requirements to accredit the physical and psychiatric examination, as well as the rules that will establish the minimum patterns of physical and mental capacity needed to perform the professional duties and obligation of an apprentice harbor pilot. Said patterns shall include zero tolerance of the consumption of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, and any other regulated controlled substance, unless the person is under the care of a physician or psychiatrist, or the controlled substance is prescribed by said physician or psychiatrist. To maintain eligibility as a candidate, each candidate must provide documentary evidence each year of having passed a complete physical and psychiatric examination administered by a licensed physician and a psychiatrist, respectively. The physician and psychiatrist must be approved by the Commission and know the minimum patterns in order to certify that the holder of the certificate satisfactorily meets the same. The patterns for the apprentice and probation pilots shall include drug testing, and provide for the presentation of a biannual police certificate in evidence of good conduct.
[(4)] Have had maritime experience which is satisfactory to the Commission, evidenced by documentation in one of the following services while holding a United States Coast Guard license:
(A) For at least two (2) years or seven hundred twenty (720) days of service at sea during a five (5)-year period, one year or three hundred sixty (360) days of which must have been sailing under an unlimited license, at least, issued by the United States Coast Guard as pilot’s mate; or
(B) at least two (2) years or seven hundred twenty (720) days of service during the immediately preceding five (5)-year period, in a deep water port of the United States or the Caribbean, serving under an unlimited United States Coast Guard license, or of a duly constituted regulatory government entity as an active first class pilot, in addition to holding an unlimited pilot mate’s license, or captain of a cargo vessel or tugboat of at least one thousand six hundred (1,600) gross tons registered on the ocean, acting under the authority of a duly constituted regulatory government entity, or
(C) at least two (2) years or seven hundred twenty (720) days of experience in tugs for a period of five (5) years, of which one year must have been serving as captain of a combined freight carrying lighter of at least five thousand (5,000) gross tons registered under a United States Coast Guard license.
(D) At least three (3) years experience as an on deck officer during the period of ten (10) years prior to applying for admission, of which he/she should have been serving as chief, second-in-command or navigation and operations officer aboard a United States Navy vessel or of any other branch of the armed forces of the United States or the United States Coast Guard, in vessels of more than one thousand six hundred (1,600) gross tons, for at least one year, and must also hold an unlimited first mate license of the United States Coast Guard.
(5) Submit documentary evidence of the time served at sea as an officer, and other official documents, as required by the Commission.
(6) Submit a copy of the unlimited first class pilot’s license issued by the United States Coast Guard, which covers the waters of the port or ports in which, or to which the apprentice pilot shall be assigned for his/her apprenticeship.
(7) Submit all necessary training and continuing education certificates that may be required by the Commission.
(8) The Commission may adopt rules authorizing equivalent combinations of services of two or more of the areas indicated in paragraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of clause (4) of this subsection. The Commission may render ineffective the requirements of clause (4) of this subsection, when it is necessary to fill a vacancy and there are no applicants for the vacancy with the necessary experience.
History —Aug. 12, 1999, No. 226, § 11, eff. 30 days after Aug. 12, 1999.