Z-0077.1

SENATE BILL 5563

State of Washington
66th Legislature
2019 Regular Session
BySenators Hobbs, Fortunato, Takko, and Conway; by request of Board of Pilotage Commissioners
Read first time 01/24/19.Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to mandatory rest periods for pilots; and amending RCW 88.16.103.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 88.16.103 and 2008 c 128 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Pilots ((and pilot trainees, after completion of an assignment or assignments which are seven hours or longer in duration,)) shall ((receive))have a mandatory rest period of ((seven))at least ten hours with an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep after completion of an assignment; excluding multiple assignments within a harbor area, as defined by the board of pilotage commissioners, provided the combined total duration of assignment time does not exceed thirteen hours.
(2) Pilots shall have a mandatory rest period that mitigates fatigue caused by circadian misalignment after three consecutive night assignments, as defined by the board of pilotage commissioners.
(3) A pilot ((or pilot trainee)) shall refuse a pilotage assignment if the pilot ((or pilot trainee)) is physically or mentally fatigued or if the pilot ((or pilot trainee)) has a reasonable belief that the assignment cannot be carried out in a competent and safe manner. Upon refusing an assignment under this subsection, a pilot ((or pilot trainee)) shall submit a written explanation to the board within forty-eight hours. ((If the board finds that the pilot's or pilot trainee's written explanation is without merit, or reasonable cause did not exist for the assignment refusal, such pilot or pilot trainee may be subject to the provisions of RCW 88.16.100.
))(4) A pilot trainee shall not take a training program trip if the pilot trainee is physically or mentally fatigued or if the pilot trainee has reasonable belief that the training program trip cannot be carried out in a competent and safe manner.
(5) The board shall quarterly review the dispatch records of pilot organizations or pilot's quarterly reports to ensure the provisions of this section are enforced. The board may prescribe rules for rest periods pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW.
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