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SB68 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 23 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PILOTAGE RATES.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 23 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PILOTAGE RATES.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Huxtable
Last action
2025-05-07
Official status
Signed 5/7/25
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material only specifies new rates and does not provide details on how these were determined or why they are changing.

Law to Set Pilotage Rates

This law sets new pilotage rates that pilots must charge for guiding ships in Delaware's waters from 2026 to 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes the pilotage rates for the Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware for 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Pilots who guide ships in Delaware's waters
  • Ship owners and operators using these pilots

Terms To Know

pilotage
The service of guiding a ship through dangerous or congested waters by someone with local knowledge.
unit
A measure used to calculate pilotage fees, based on the distance traveled or time spent.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact effective date of this law is not specified in the provided information.
  • It does not specify how these rates were determined or why they are changing.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-07 Delaware General Assembly

    Signed by Governor

  2. 2025-04-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 4 ABSENT

  3. 2025-04-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 5 On Its Merits

  4. 2025-03-26 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Administration Committee in House

  5. 2025-03-25 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  6. 2025-03-19 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits

  7. 2025-03-11 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 23 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PILOTAGE RATES.
This bill establishes the pilotage rates for the Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware for 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Huxtable & Sen. Sokola & Rep. Harris

Sens. Hocker, Hoffner, Mantzavinos, Pettyjohn, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson; Reps. Cooke, Dukes, Gray, Hilovsky, Osienski

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 68

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 23 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PILOTAGE RATES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 131(a)(2), Title 23 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(2) The charges per unit

shall be

are

as follows:

Effective January 1,

2022 $14.91

2025, $17.26

per unit

.

Effective January 1,

2023 $15.66

2026, $17.78

per unit

.

Effective January 1,

2024 $16.44

2027, $18.31

per unit

.

E

ffective January 1,

2025 $17.26

2028, $18.86

per unit

.

Section 2. Amend § 131(a)(3), Title 23 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(3) There

shall be

is

a minimum charge of 200 units and a maximum unit charge as follows:

Effective January 1,

2022

2025,

1,550 units

.

Effective January 1,

2023 1,550

2026, 1,600

units

Effective January 1,

2024 1,550

2027, 1,600

units.

Effective January 1,

2025 1,550

2028, 1,600

units.

Section 3.

Amend § 131(b)(2), Title 23 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(2) The charges per unit

shall be

are

as follows:

Effective January 1,

2022 $14.91

2025, $17.26

per unit.

Effective January 1,

2023 $15.66

2026, $17.78

per unit.

Effective January 1,

2024 $16.44

2027, $18.31

per unit.

Effective January 1,

2025 $17.26

2028, $18.86

per unit.

Section 4. Amend § 131(b)(3), Title 23 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(3) There

shall be

is

a minimum charge of 200 units and a maximum unit charge as follows:

Effective January 1,

2022

2025,

1,550 units.

Effective January 1,

2023 1,550

2026, 1,600

units.

Effective January 1,

2024 1,550

2027, 1,600

units.

Effective January 1,

2025 1,550

2028, 1,600

units.

SYNOPSIS

This bill establishes the pilotage rates for the Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware for 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Author: Senator Huxtable